


Back To Normal

by stevelovespeter



Category: Captain America (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Past Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, past Tony Stark/Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-23 05:53:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30050883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stevelovespeter/pseuds/stevelovespeter
Summary: Six years after the death of Tony Stark, Peter works in nanotech at Stark Industries. Peter offers to design a new and improved prosthetic for the Winter Soldier. Bucky has been a mess since Steve Rogers went back in time. Peter’s been a mess since Tony died. All either of them want, is for things to go back to normal.Post-Endgame
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker
Comments: 30
Kudos: 91





	1. The Party

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who read my other fic! I hope you like this one! I’m not 100% sure where to go with this story, so it probably won’t be updated as quickly as the other fic was.
> 
> Please leave comments if you like the story! They motivate me to continue writing.

“Would you quit your moping?” Sam called from the bathroom. He was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie.

Bucky sighed. “I’m not moping,” he said from his spot on the living room couch. “I just think that parties are pointless… And I’m sure that Pepper only invited me to be polite.”

Sam emerged from the bathroom, looking dapper in his red suit. “You’d better put your arm back on,” Sam said. “We need to leave in ten minutes.”

Bucky sighed again. He had only removed his arm to take a shower. His long damp hair fell in his face as he bent forward to retrieve the arm from the coffee table. He slid the arm onto the end of his shoulder. The metal limb vibrated as the sensors connected to the implant under his skin. Metal and wires connected to flesh and nerve.

Bucky’s vibranium arm was  _ amazing _ . The first time he wore the arm that T‘Challah gave him, he felt like he was starting his life over. The new arm had zero ties to Hydra—no memory of all the people he had been forced to kill.

He felt naked whenever he removed the metal limb. Unlike his old arm, the black and yellow prothesetic was made of vibranium. The priceless metal never chafed his skin. It was easy to clean, and the joints rarely needed lubricated. The vibranium arm made life almost easy. Almost.

But life would  _ never  _ be easy for the Winter Soldier. 

Everything changed after the Blip. Tony was gone. So was Natasha. But the loss that hurt Bucky the most was Steve Rogers. As soon as Steve told Bucky that he was returning the infinity stones to the past, Bucky knew. He knew that Steve wasn’t coming back... Apparently Bucky wasn’t a good enough reason for Steve to return.

So Bucky dedicated himself to recovering. Hydra wasn’t in his head anymore, but Bucky had no shortage of trauma to deal with. He returned to Wakanda for more therapy. After two years in Wakanda, Bucky returned to New York. He got an apartment in Brooklyn, and spent most of his free time with Sam.

Bucky never really felt like he was an Avenger. People always referred to him as such, but it just never felt right. Although he was no longer a villain in anyone's eyes, he didn;t think that he was righteous enough for the title of “Avenger.” He still went on missions with Sam. Once, Hawkeye and Thor had enlisted his help. Bucky much preferred saving civilian lives to being Hydra’s murder puppet.

“You ready Buck?” Sam asked.

Bucky looked slightly dazed. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” he said. He stood up and followed Sam out the front door. Sam drove to the tower. Bucky nervously tapped a metal finger against his knee.

Sam nodded to the men at the security desk as they entered the lobby of the Avengers tower. Bucky avoided eye contact with everyone. They made their way to the elevator. Sam scanned a key fob, before pressing the button for the penthouse. Bucky exhaled loudly as the lift began to climb upwards.

Bucky hadn’t been to a party in ages. The last party he attended had been before he became the Winter Soldier. He was different now. He used to make conversation effortlessly. Words didn’t come easily to him anymore.

Perhaps it was because the party was thrown by Pepper Potts. Bucky hadn’t seen pepper since Tony’s funeral. That was 6 years ago.

Bucky never really had the chance to make things right with Tony. That’s why he was so surprised when Pepper had invited him to the housewarming party for the newly renovated Stark tower. Pepper had purchased the tower back after the upstate facility was destroyed by Thanos. Stark Industries had been using the tower for the past few years, but the renovations for the living quarters were finally complete. The Avengers finally had an official home again.

Pepper welcomed Bucky and Sam warmly. There was no anger or bitterness in her eyes when she shook Bucky’s hand. Her hair was in a high ponytail, and she wore a tight white dress. Bucky felt underdressed in his jeans and leather jacket.

Pepper surprised Bucky again when she told him that there was a bedroom reserved for him in the tower. She gave him a key fob to access the living quarters. Bucky furrowed his brow in confusion.

“But why?” He asked.

Pepper smiled at him. “Because you’re an Avenger,” she said, simply.

Bucky stuck to Sam’s side for most of the evening. He had the impression that none of the Avengers truly trusted him, even though Sam assured him that it wasn’t true.

The tower felt empty without Steve, Tony, and Natasha. Bucky’s  _ life _ felt empty without Steve.

Bucky didn’t recognize most of the people at the party. He had seen Bruce and Rhodey drinking on the balcony. Besides them and Pepper, almost everyone else at the party seemed to be a Stark Industries employee.

It was nearly 9:00 when the elevator doors dinged open and Peter Parker emerged. He was late, but he looked nice. He wore a pair of black slacks and a light blue button up. His messy hair was brushed back. A lock of hair fell out of place as he scanned the room.

Peter was 21 now. He hadn’t seen all of the Avengers together in one place since Tony’s funeral. He had missed his mentors—no, his  _ friends _ . Between his job at Stark Industries, and constantly ‘looking out for the little guy,’ Peter had barely found any time to reconnect with the surviving heroes.

Peter saw Bruce sometimes. Bruce and Pepper frequently met at the tower for lunch during the work week. Bruce usually poked their head into Peter’s lab to say hello. It made Peter feel like he was finally one of the grown ups, when someone as important as Dr Bruce Banner sought his presence.

Peter greeted Pepper with a hug, and he shook hands with Rhodey. Bruce waved to Peter from his spot on the couch. Peter smiled and waved back, before making his way to the bar.

He poured himself a glass of single malt scotch. Peter wasn’t much of a drinker… But that had been Tony’s drink of choice.

Peter carried his drink over to the open spot on the couch next to Bruce. Bruce took up half of the couch, but Peter was small.

“Heya Pete,” Bruce said. “How ya been?”

Peter shrugged sheepishly. “Busy as always,” Peter said. “You know the game.”

Rhody joined them in the sitting area. “Are you still working on the S-11?” Rhodey asked Peter.

Peter chuckled. The S-11 was a Stark Industries satellite that Peter had helped develop. The spacecraft was currently orbiting earth, performing deep space scans in an effort to warn them of any approaching alien ships.

“No, that satellite launched two years ago,” Peter said with a smile. “I’m working with nano tech now.”

Nano tech was amazing, but it was still a mystery to Peter. During lunch with Pepper a few years ago, Peter had casually mentioned his interest in nano tech. After his work on the S-11, she offered to let Peter take over in nano research and development. Peter had never been so excited.

Tony had done most of the leg work for Peter already. Tony had worked with the Wakandan Design Group to develop the most recent suit—the suit he wore when he snapped Thanos out of existence. Peter’s new job was to improve the existing nanotech algorithm, and to develop more practical applications for the tech.

“So they got the tiny avenger working on the tiny tech?” Rhodey teased. Peter rolled his eyes, but smiled despite himself.

Some time later, when his glass was empty, Peter made his way back to the bar. He poured himself another glass of scotch. 

Bruce and Rhodey were gone when Peter returned to the couch. He saw them on the other side of the room. Rhodey was setting up the pool table. Bruce was complaining about the size of the pool sticks.

Peter wandered the room, giving polite smiles and nods to people as he passed. Part of him felt out of place. He was a young vigilante in a sea of seasoned soldiers. Peter’s stomach filled with warmth as he took another sip of his drink. He was starting to feel hot.

Someone on the other side of the room opened the door to the balcony. The cool summer breeze called to Peter. He made his way around the sofa and the pool table, towards the balcony’s large glass doors. He pulled the door open, and stepped out onto the terrace. There were only a few people on the balcony. He took a deep breath and made his way to look over the railing. The city lights were like stars. They were so high up, that the traffic below was nothing but a quiet hum.

“How’s it going Spider Boy?”

Peter turned his head and spotted Sam and Bucky leaning against the railing on the far side of the terrace. Sam was smirking, clearly thinking himself clever.

Peter grinned and crossed the balcony to greet them. “It’s Spider- _ Man, _ ” He corrected him. “Unless you want me to start calling you The Pigeon.”

Bucky chuckled, which surprised Peter.

Peter had only met Bucky three times. Once at the airport in Germany, once during the fight with Thanos, and then again at Tony’s funeral. Peter knew that Bucky was no longer under Hydra’s control… but for some reason he was still intimidated by the man—not intimidated enough for his spider senses to go off—but intimidated nonetheless.

Bucky was  _ not  _ intimidated by Peter. Bucky had seen Peter in action—actually fought the kid. He knew that he  _ should  _ be intimidated, but with Peter’s small frame, and his dopey smile, Bucky wondered if  _ anyone  _ could find the young man frightening.

“What have you guys been up to?” Peter asked. “It’s been a while.”

“More than a while,” Sam said with a grin. “I was working back in DC for a couple of years. Then I moved up here when I found out that this idiot—” he gestured to Bucky. “—was coming back. Now I’m back in Brooklyn.”

Bucky smiled, so Peter figured it was okay to chuckle at Sam’s joke.

“What have you been up to? Mr. Barnes—um sir,” Peter asked Bucky awkwardly. He didn’t know how to address him. Tony had only ever referred to the soldier as James, but so many people called him Bucky. He wasn’t sure if the nickname was reserved for only certain people to use.

To Peter’s relief, Bucky smiled and chucked. “Just Bucky is fine,” he said. “Or James. Whatever you want really, as long as it’s not Sargent.” 

Peter nodded, blushing slightly.  _ Why was he blushing? _

“I spent some time in Wakanda,” Bucky said. “After the snap, and Steve leaving, I wanted to make sure that my head was in the right place. I’ve been back in New York for three years now though.” 

_ Why was Peter so surprised by how level headed the man was? _

“What about you Pete?” Sam asked, swirling the ice around in his drink.

“I’ve been working for Pepper,” Peter replied.

“And you're still doing the whole Spider-Man thing too, right?” Bucky asked. “I saw you on the news a couple years ago. The whole Quentin Beck thing?”

Peter tried to keep his expression from darkening. “Yeah, I’m still Spider-Man,” he replied. “Just without the secret identity.”

“That must have been an adjustment,” Sam said. “Having the whole world find out who you are.”

“It was… weird,” Peter said. He didn’t want to go into the details.

Bucky could sense it was a touchy subject, so he changed the subject. “So what do you do at Stark Industries?” He asked.

Peter smiled, grateful for the new topic. “I’m working in nanotechnology right now,” he said, his whole face lighting up. “I’m working with Tony’s original nano design right now. Trying to make it better, and come up with other ways to use it.”

The way Peter got all excited made Bucky smile. Bucky wasn’t sure  _ why _ it made him smile. He discreetly looked Peter up and down. Peter’s shirt was… form fitting. Peter raised his glass to his lips, and Bucky was looking at Peter's mouth now.

“So you’re making nano bot sex toys huh?” Sam asked.

Peter, choked on his drink. Bucky laughed, and Sam patted Peter’s back. 

“No, not exactly,” Peter said, when he stopped coughing and laughing. “I’ve mostly been making suits. Like space suits and wearable tools.”

“Wearable tools? That  _ sound’s  _ like a sex toy,” Bucky said, making Sam laugh. Peter chuckled too.

“I mean tools that you can wear,” Peter clarified. “Like my web shooters.”

They talked for a while. Peter told them about the challenges of working with nanotechnology. Sam told Peter about some of the missions he had been on. Bucky didn’t talk much. He tried to not to stare at Peter too hard, but his eyes were drawn to his figure. There was something about Peter’s hair… or was it his eyes?

Some time later, Bucky’s arm vibrated three times. He cursed under his breath and looked down at his arm. He wiggled his finger. Just to check. Three vibrations meant that a joint was sticking. He tried to subtly bend the elbow, and found the motion to be quite difficult.

Peter was telling them about the improvements he had made on his web shooters. Bucky must have been wearing a dark expression, because Peter stopped talking mid sentence, when he caught the look on his face.

“Sorry, it’s not you,” Bucky assured Peter. “My arm is just malfunctioning a little bit.”

Peter’s eyes lit with curiosity as they landed on Bucky’s prosthetic. The light from the tower’s windows reflected off of the metal fingers.

Peter loved technology. 

Bucky set his drink on the ledge of the banister. He used his right hand to press a metal panel on the arm. A light on the wrist began blinking. Bucky grunted. In his six years of wearing the arm, he had never had  _ this  _ happen before. He could still move the fingers, wrist and the shoulder, but the stuck elbow joint kept his arm useless at his side.

“Would you like me to take a look at it?” Peter asked, somewhat nervously. “Or if you need tools, you can borrow some.”

Bucky smiled at Peter. “You don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Peter said. “I can’t promise that I’ll be able to fix it. I’ve never worked with cybernetics before,” he added, feeling it best to be honest. “Or vibranium for that matter.”

“You seem pretty smart to me,” Bucky said. “Working with all that tech like you do... I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re able to figure it out.” 

Peter blushed, slightly surprised by the compliment. “Do you want to come with me to my lab then?”

“Sounds good,” Bucky said, before turning to Sam. “You want to come with, or—”

“I think I might make myself another drink,” Sam said. “I’ve been meaning to catch up with Pepper too.”

Bucky nodded and turned to Peter expectantly. His eyes met Peter’s. They maintain eye contact—perhaps a millisecond longer than was usual.

“My lab is on the 35th floor,” Peter said. 

He led the way back inside. Bucky followed him, walking awkwardly with his left arm dangling at his side. They walked through the crowd of people, until they reached the elevators. Peter pressed the down button, and the doors slid open.

It was a short ride down to the 35th floor, but the silence was awkward again. Maybe it was just in Peter’s head, but Bucky seemed just as uncomfortable. Neither of them knew what to say. Peter’s enhanced hearing told him that Bucky’s heart was racing.

It was a relief when the elevator doors slid open, and they were able to exit the small space. They stepped onto the landing, and Bucky looked around and he followed Peter.

There was a large obscured glass wall, with a wide door. The name ‘PARKER, PETER’ had been printed on a silver name plate on the door. When had Peter said ‘my lab,’ Bucky assumed that he had a workstation in a shared space… Not an entire lab to himself. Bucky was impressed.

Peter entered a code into the keypad next to the door. The light on the lock turned green, and the door slid open. Bucky followed Peter into the lab, looking around curiously.

The gleaming floors were made of polished concrete. Bright white tables and desks were littered with microscopes and various pieces of lab equipment. Tall white room dividers had been erected, separating the room into smaller spaces.

“Would you sit over here?” Peter asked, gesturing to a spot on the counter. “I’m going to grab my tools.” Peter walked around one of the white room dividers towards his work table.

Bucky hoisted himself up onto the countertop. His movements were awkward, using only his right arm. Bucky shrugged his jacket off before pulling off his shirt as well. He wanted to give Peter access to the shoulder joint too.

When Peter emerged from behind the room divider, his eyes went wide for a moment. Bucky was shirtless. Peter willed himself not to blush as he approached the super soldier. Bucky had broad shoulders, and his hairy chest muscles were well defined.

Peter hesitated before stepping up to the counter. Bucky showed Peter where the control panel was. Peter gently lifted the metal plate on the wrist, and examined the wires beneath. 

“I love vibranium,” Peter said under his breath, running his fingers along the back of Bucky’s metal hand. 

Bucky shivered. No one had ever touched his metal arm like that. It felt nice.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you could feel that,” Peter said, blushing slightly.

“No worries,” Bucky said. “It feels nice. Most people are put off by the arm, so I’m just not used to anyone touching it.”

Peter glanced at Bucky’s face for a moment before returning his gaze to the panel on his wrist. “Which part is the issue?” He asked.

“The elbow,” Bucky said. “It will barely bend at all.”

“Hmmm,” Peter said thoughtfully. He gently removed the metal plate on the inner crook of the elbow. He gently lifted Bucky’s arm and examined the gears and joints beneath the surface. Peter stepped slightly closer.

Peter was enamored by the vibranium arm. He leaned one hip against the counter. He hadn't realized that he was standing sideways between Bucky’s thick thighs.

Peter fiddled with the tech, relaxing slightly. Tech was Peter’s element. He tried to avoid looking at Bucky’s muscled chest as he worked. He knew that he would blush if he allowed himself to stare.

Peter tightened a few parts, before replacing the panels on the inner elbow and on the wrist. He tightened the gears under the wrist before looking up at Bucky’s shoulder. He removed the panel on the front of the shoulder, checking the upper joint as well.

Peter’s eyes ran along the scars that bordered the arm—physical indications of the horrors of Bucky’s past. A strange emotion filled Peter’s chest. It wasn’t pity exactly… but Peter did feel sad as he pondered the misfortunes that made up the man’s life.

“Not very pretty, are they?” Bucky asked with a chuckle. He had noticed Peter’s eyes flickering the the scars on the flesh of his shoulder.

Peter’s cheeks turned pink. “Sorry,” he muttered embarrassed. 

“No, no, it’s fine,” Bucky said. “People usually look away from my arm. Or they don’t acknowledge it… It makes people uneasy. The truth is I really don’t mind people looking at it.”

Peter looked into Bucky’s eyes for a moment. It suddenly hit Peter, how close he was standing to the older man. He cleared his throat as he replaced the vibranium panel on the front of Bucky’s shoulder.

“I don’t think the scars are ugly,” Peter said quietly.

Bucky furrowed his eyebrows, stunned.

“Try bending your elbow now,” Peter said, taking a few steps back.

Bucky bent the arm, testing out every joint. “It works like a charm,” he said, giving Peter a warm smile. “Thank you Peter.”

Peter blushed as his name escaped Bucky’s lips.

“Shall we get back to the party?” Peter asked.

Bucky sighed. “I guess,” he said, hopping down from the counter top. He sounded miserable.

“Not a fan of parties?” Peter asked as he tidied up. He placed his tools in one of the workshop drawers.

“Not really,” Bucky said. “A lot of people still see me as some assassin terrorist. I feel like I only make people uncomfortable.”

Guilt bubbled in Peter’s stomach, as he remembered how uncomfortable he had been earlier in the night. “I’m sorry,” Peter said. “That’s not fair at all.”

Bucky leaned against the other counter. “I deal with it,” he said. He peered into a large white box on the table. It was full of tiny metal pieces. They were Nanoparticles. He placed his metal arm in the box, running his fingers through the mini particles. Each particle was the size of a grain of sand.

Peter watched as Bucky handled the miniature pieces, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.

Peter locked the lab door behind them, and Bucky pressed the elevator button. “So are you living here at the tower now?” Bucky asked as they entered the elevator.

“Yeah I moved in this morning,” Peter said. “I’ve still got a room at my aunt's place, but it’s pretty convenient having a place so close to the lab.”

The awkwardness between them had dissipated significantly. The elevator doors slid open when they reached the penthouse. Bucky stared at Peter’s backside as he walked out of the elevator in front of him.

“Thanks again,” Bucky said. They were standing in the landing in front of the elevators now, back in the thick of the party. “Can I grab you a drink?”

“Sure,” Peter said. He followed Bucky through the crowd towards the bar. Bucky poured Peter a glass, and slid the cup towards the younger man.

“Can I run an idea past you?” Peter asked suddenly.

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Sure,” he said hesitantly. “I’m not sure if I’d be any help with anything sciencey though.”

Peter chuckled, taking a sip of his scotch. “Have you ever thought of using nanotech for your arm?”

Bucky chuckled. “I haven’t. I wouldn’t know where to start with something like that.”

Peter hesitated. “If I were to design a prototype for a nanotech prosthetic, would you be interested in testing it out?”

Bucky raised his eyebrows, surprised. “Really?” He asked.

Peter scratched the back of his head. “Only if you want to…”

“That would be cool,” Bucky said. “You really don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Peter said. “I’ve been having a hard time coming up with anything practical. Your arm gave me the idea, so I figured I’d offer.”

“Okay,” Bucky said. A strange feeling swelling inside of him as he thought about Peter touching his arm again. “Name the time and place, and I’ll be there.”

Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He handed the phone to Bucky. “Give me your number,” Peter said. “I’ll take a look at my calendar tomorrow, and we can make an appointment.”

Bucky gave Peter his number. Peter texted Bucky right away.  _ This is Peter :) _

Bucky grinned when he saw the smiley face.

Happy and May arrived at the party. Peter gave them a small wave as they exited the elevator. May was waving Peter over.

“That’s my aunt,” Peter said. “I should go say hello.”

“It—it was good to see you, Parker,” Bucky said.

“Yeah, it’s been too long,” Peter agreed. He shook Bucky’s hand, before turning around to rejoin the party.


	2. Back at the Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky meets with Peter.  
> Peter gives Bucky a tour of his quarters at the tower.

Bucky sighed and lifted his magazine higher, to hide his face. The woman sitting across from him had been staring. _This is why I never take the subway,_ Bucky thought. Even with his hair in a high bun, a hat, and fake glasses, occasionally people still recognized the infamous Winter Soldier.

Bucky got off the subway when he reached downtown Manhattan. He climbed the subway stairs, and turned to walk towards Park Avenue. When he finally reached the Avengers Tower, he took a deep breath before entering the magnificent building.

It had been a week since the party. After three days with no word from Peter, Bucky had started to wonder if he had been serious about designing a new arm. The kid _had_ been drinking when he offered his help. Peter finally did text Bucky, late on Friday afternoon. He had apologized for taking so long, and invited Bucky to come to his lab on Monday morning.

Now that Monday had arrived, Bucky wasn’t feeling so sure. He wondered if he was inconveniencing Peter. Bucky wasn’t normally one to accept charity—but Peter had made it seem like Bucky would be the one helping him out.

  
  


Being back at the tower was strange. The lobby was swarming with people. Bucky made his way to the elevator. He used the key card the Pepper had given him to access the restricted floors. He selected the button for the 35th floor. 

Anxiety bubbled in his stomach as the doors slid shut. Sam had told Bucky to “be nice,” before he left the apartment that morning. He wasn’t sure why, but now Bucky was wondering if he was usually… _not_ nice? 

The elevators dinged open on the 35th floor, and Bucky stepped out onto the bright landing. The door to Peter’s lab was open. Even so, Bucky tapped the glass wall lightly with his knuckles.

“Come on in,” Peter called.

Bucky entered the bright room. The room was bright and clean. White lab tables covered with various pieces of equipment lined the walls. There was a giant glass window against the far wall.

Peter was sitting on a bar stool at one of the lab tables. He closed his laptop when Bucky entered. He gave Bucky a nervous smile, before finishing the rest of his coffee in a few gulps. “Good morning Mr. Barns—I mean Bucky,” he said awkwardly.

“Hey Peter,” Bucky said. The anxiety in Bucky’s stomach vanished at Peter’s awkwardness. He was relieved to see that he wasn’t the only awkward one in the room.

Bucky pulled out one of the barstools at Peter’s table, taking a seat across from him. Peter wore a tee shirt with some math equation on it, and his hair was untidy. Even as Peter pushed his hair back, a single curl fell out of place, landing back on his forehead.

“So how have you been?” Peter asked, standing up and walking around the table. He stepped behind one of the white room dividers for a moment, before re-emerging with a heavy looking toolbox.

“Let me,” Bucky said, hopping off of his chair. He walked around the table, reaching out to carry the toolbox for Peter, but Peter waved him off.

Peter lifted the toolbox with one hand, setting it on the table. “I’ve got enhanced strength too,” Peter said with a chuckle.

“Oh yeah,” Bucky said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I’ve been okay. Haven’t been up to much since the party. I went on a reconnaissance mission with Sam, but other than that, things have been slow.”

Peter nodded. “Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you,” Peter said, reaching across the table for his computer. “I had a few special projects to finish for Pepper. I didn’t think they would take all week.”

“No worries,” Bucky assured the younger man.

Peter pulled a small black box with a screen from his toolbox, before turning back to Bucky. “Would you mind sitting up on the counter here?” He asked. “And um… removing your arm?” 

Bucky smiled. Peter really was socially awkward—or at least he was around him.

“Sure,” Bucky said. 

Bucky shrugged off his leather jacket. Peter was staring at the screen on his computer, as Bucky removed his shirt, but Bucky still noticed the pink tinge that appeared on Peter’s cheeks. Bucky hoisted himself up onto the counter, before using his right arm to remove the prosthetic on his left side. He placed the vibranium arm on the table beside him.

“So I was wanting to start with some preliminary scans of your current arm, and your body,” Peter said, willing himself not to blush. He looked at Bucky’s face as he spoke, not allowing his eyes to roam to the large muscles on Bucky’s chest. “I want to start by getting the right size for the arm. Once I’ve done that, I should be able to program the nano particles with the range of motion that you’ll need.”

Bucky tried to keep from smirking as he nodded. Peter was still blushing, but he didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. “Scan away, Peter,” he said.

Peter started with the arm. He carried the small black device over to the table. Peter pressed a button, and a holographic grid flickered to life in front of the device. Peter held the device over the arm, and the holographic grid lowered, scanning the prosthetic. 

When he had finished scanning the arm, Peter plugged the device into his computer. A 3D model of the prosthetic appeared on the screen. “Does your current arm feel like it’s the right size?” Peter asked.

Bucky nodded. “It fits perfectly,” he said. “But it does make me feel a little unbalanced. It’s heavier than my right arm.”

Peter nodded. “Well only the exoskeleton is vibranium, so that makes sense,” Peter said. “I’ll try to make sure that the new arm I make is more balanced.”

“That would be nice,” Bucky said.

Bucky smiled as Peter made several notes on his computer. When he finished typing, he looked up at Bucky. “Well then, I’m ready for the body scan,” Peter said, somewhat shyly. “You know—if that’s fine with you.”

Bucky chuckled again. _Peter’s cute when he’s flustered,_ he thought… but the thought caught him off guard. The only other man that Bucky had ever been attracted to was Steve. Peter and Steve were totally different.

“Scan away,” Bucky said.

Peter walked over to Bucky, the small black scanning device in his hand. “Would you lie down on the table?” Peter asked. Bucky did as he was told, lying flat against the cold hard counter.

Peter clicked the button on the device. A blue grid appeared in the air above Bucky. Peter ran the holographic grid up and down Bucky’s body. He started at Bucky’s head, moving down towards his feet. _Not looking_ at Bucky’s body during the scan wasn’t an option. His ears felt hot, as the grid scanned Bucky’s chest muscles, moving down towards his hips. Peter tried not to stare at the trail of hair that ran down from Bucky’s navel, disappearing below his jeans.

“You can sit up now,” Peter said when he had finished the scan. He returned to his computer, where he plugged in the scanning device. A 3D model of Bucky’s body appeared on the screen next to the model of his arm. Peter scratched the back of his neck before entering additional notes into the computer.

“You know, the nice thing about nano tech—” Peter began. “—is that once we have the nanites programmed, if you gain or lose any weight, then we can simply adjust how densely the nanites are connected. That should make it so that the arm is always balanced with the rest of your body.” 

Peter brushed the hair out of his eyes, and Bucky smiled again. “That sounds promising,” Bucky said.

“Let me just get this first model rendered, and we can try it,” Peter said. 

Peter typed several complicated looking functions on the screen, and Bucky watched in bewilderment. Bucky knew how to work his smartphone, and a google search was simple enough. Beyond the basics, technology was a mystery to the soldier.

A few minutes later, Peter stood up and turned around, walking towards the cabinets against the far side of the lab. Peter bent down to pull a box out of the bottom cabinet, and Bucky had to turn his head to keep from staring at his backside.

Peter returned to the table and set the box down on the counter next to Bucky. Peter removed the lid and tilted the box towards Bucky, who peered inside inquisitively. 

“These are nanites—or nanoparticles,” Peter explained. Bucky reached out as if to touch them, before hesitating. “Go ahead,” Peter said.

Bucky’s right hand dipped inside the box. It felt like he stuck his hand in a pile of black sand. He picked up a small handful, and examined the nanites closely. It _looked_ like sand too. “So these are all little robots?” Bucky asked skeptically.

“Not exactly,” Peter said. “The nanites are part of the robot. They’re just pieces, connected to a control center that tells them what to do.”

Peter typed something on his computer keyboard, and the pile of black nanites flew out of Bucky’s hand. The nanites in the box flew through the air too. They converged at a spot on the table, compressing to form a solid black sphere.

“So the control center tells the nanites what shape to make,” Peter explained. “The nanites change their shape, to interlock, creating a solid object.”

Peter picked up the black sphere. It was about the size of a basketball. He carried it over to where Bucky sat, and held the ball out to him. Bucky, whose prosthetic still lay on the table beside him, took the ball from Peter with one arm.

“It’s smooth,” Bucky said, sounding impressed. “I thought it would feel weird.”

Peter smiled for a moment. “Yeah, but I can’t take credit for any of this. This was all Tony’s work. He really was a genius.” And Peter wasn’t smiling anymore. He turned back to his computer for a moment, trying to hide his expression from Bucky.

Bucky wasn’t fooled... But he didn’t know what to say. He wished he had the right words to comfort Peter, but Bucky was a man of so few words these days.

Peter turned back to Bucky after a moment. “Do you want to try the arm on?” He asked, his voice steady again.

Bucky sat up straighter. “Yes.”

Peter smiled and took the black sphere from Bucky. He placed it back on the table before typing another function on his computer. The sphere separated. Black particles flew in every direction. When they stopped, a solid black arm lay on the white countertop. 

Bucky was grinning now. Peter had never seen the man look excited. He liked the way the emotion looked on his face.

“Now you won’t be able to actually use the arm today,” Peter said. “You won’t have any touch sense, and you won’t be able to move it, but I want you to at least tell me how it feels on your shoulder.”

Peter lifted the arm, and Bucky raised his left shoulder awkwardly. Bucky was self conscious about his missing limb, and when Peter stepped closer to slide fit the arm to his shoulder, he nearly jerked away from his touch. Instead, he took a deep breath as Peter slid the smooth black arm onto his shoulder.

Peter took a few paces back, and stared at Bucky. He had an excuse to look at his muscles now. “It looks even,” Peter said. “How does the weight feel?”

Bucky shrugged, and the prosthetic nearly slid off his shoulder. Peter was there in an instant, adjusting the arm. Peter’s wrist brushed against Bucky’s chest and he put the prosthetic back in place.

“I think it feels about the same weight as my real arm,” Bucky said. “It’s kinda hard to tell without being able to move or feel from it.”

Peter nodded. “That;s the next step. Tony’s latest suit had a neural interface,” he said. Bucky gave him a questioning look, so Peter continued. “Basically, all Tony had to do was _think,_ and the nanites would form the structure he intended.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “So are you saying that when this is done, I can change the arm into any shape I want?”

“Potentially,” Peter said. “But first, my goal is to get it to function the way your right arm does. Then I can look into added features. I’ll need to redesign the neural interface first, and then I’ll need to make some sort of housing unit for the nanoparticles… But I don’t think that it will be too complicated.”

Bucky was smiling again. It wasn’t his usual half sad smile either. The prospect of the new arm, and the prospect of working with Peter made Bucky feel better… or less depressed anyway.

Peter slid the shiny black arm off of Bucky’s shoulder and placed it back inside the box. He handed Bucky his vibranium arm, who slid the limb back onto his shoulder. The arm vibrated as it was connected. Peter returned to his computer and closed the laptop lid. The black arm in the box disintegrated, turning back into sand.

Peter leaned against the counter, opposite of Bucky. “I think it will only take me a couple days to figure out the interface,” he said. “The housing unit might take a little while longer, but I think that I should be able to have the first prototype done by Friday.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “That fast, huh? What do you need from me?”

Peter scratched the back of his head. “Once I have the neural interface complete, I could test the touch sensation on you.” Bucky gulped. It sounded almost like Peter was going to be _touching_ him. Peter, not noticing Bucky’s reaction, continued. “That way we can make sure that you’re able to feel things like temperature, and textures, without the sensation being too strange.”

Bucky took his bun out to tighten it as he listened to Peter. When Peter finished, Bucky spoke. “So when should I come back to the lab?”

“Well there won’t be much for you to do while I work on the interface,” Peter said. “I think if you wanted to come on Wednesday, I should have it done by then. Or you’re welcome to stay in your room at the tower,” he said. “Pepper did give you a key, didn’t she?”

Bucky scowled. “She did, but I have no idea where my room is,” he admitted. “Besides, I already have a place. I don’t need her feeling sorry for me.”

Peter hesitated. “Pepper doesn’t feel sorry for you. I know that what you’ve been through sucks, but nobody thinks any less of you because of it.”

Bucky didn’t respond. There was tension in the air now, and Peter knew that he had struck a nerve.

“Bucky,” Peter said, waiting for Bucky to look at him before continuing. “If anything, people are _impressed_ by you. It’s not easy to find your way out of the darkness—especially when it’s not your fault that you were in the darkness in the first place. The way that you took control of your life, after it was stolen from you… That’s pretty impressive… It is to me anyway.”

Bucky’s scowl lightened. He nodded, unable to vocalize how he felt. Very few people had given Bucky praise for the lengths he had gone through to recover. It felt nice, having Peter acknowledge it.

“Will you show me where my room is?” Bucky asked quietly.

Peter smiled slightly. “Of course.”

“I’m not saying I’m going to use it,” Bucky said. “Just in case I change my mind… I might as well know where it is.”

Peter nodded. “Sure, sure,” he said. “It's nice to at least have the option.”

Bucky put his shirt and his leather jacket back on. Peter wished he hadn’t.

Peter locked his lab door behind them as they stepped out onto the landing. Peter hit the _up_ button, and they waited for the elevator to arrive. When the doors slid open, Peter stepped inside and hit the button for the penthouse.

Bucky hated how modern elevators never played music anymore. He leaned against the railing and glanced at Peter, who was typing something on his phone.

“Sorry,” Peter mumbled. “I’ve got about a million emails to respond to.”

Bucky smiled. “You kids and your technology,” he said.

Peter looked up, raising one eyebrow. “I’m an adult,” he deadpanned. “And you sound like a grandpa when you say things like that.” Bucky laughed. 

Peter had been surprised by the joke. Bucky had always seemed so serious. Peter had to remind himself that he barely knew the man—certainly not well enough to be familiar with his sense of humor.

The elevator doors slid open when they reached the penthouse. It was the same magnificent room where the party had been held. Two sitting areas were in front of the balcony entrance. There was a kitchen and an eating area as well. From the penthouse there was a second, private elevator which led to the floors above. Peter clicked the up button and they entered the second elevator.

“Two elevator rides?” Bucky asked. “Seems like overkill to me.”

Peter chuckled as the doors slid shut. “Your room is on the same floor as mine,” Peter said. Bucky wasn’t sure why that made his heart race. Peter clicked the button for the 90th floor.

When the doors opened, Peter led Bucky down the hall. There were only three doors on the level, each with a silver name plate. The first door read _Peter Parker_ . The next door read _Wanda Maximoff_ . The third door read _James Barnes_.

“This is you,” Peter said.

Bucky pulled his key fob out of his jacket pocket and pressed it against the doorknob. He opened the door and stepped inside. He held the door open, for Peter to follow him inside.

Bucky was impressed. On the left, was a sitting area, with a black sofa and a TV. There was a small kitchenette, complete with a mini fridge and microwave on the right. In the back of the space, up against a massive window, was a large bed and two nightstands. The bright blue sky reflected onto the polished concrete floors. Bucky assumed that the door on the right led to the bathroom and closet.

Bucky plopped down on the couch and turned to look at Peter, who stood awkwardly in the doorway. “This is pretty nice,” Bucky admitted. “I should probably thank Pepper,” he said, feeling suddenly quite guilty. Bucky gestured for Peter to take a seat.

Peter sat down on the couch next to Bucky. “You think you’re going to move in then?”

Bucky scratched the stubble on his chin. “I’ll have to think about it,” he said. “I know that Sam has been thinking about going back to DC, so it might be nice to have some company when he goes.”

Peter nodded. “Company is good,” he said lamely.

“So it’s just me, you and Wanda on this level?” Bucky confirmed.

Peter nodded. “Yeah, although Wanda’s been… doing her own thing for a while now. I don’t know if we’ll see her anytime soon,” Peter said. “I just finished moving in last week. A lot of my stuff is still at my aunts, but I've got the essentials here now.”

“Can I see your room?” Bucky asked. He frowned as soon as the question escaped his lips. Was it a strange request?

Peter didn’t find it strange—or if he did, he didn’t show it. “Sure,” he said. He led Bucky down the hall, and used his own fob to unlock his door.

Bucky Barnes—the Winter Soldier—was in Peter Parker’s bedroom. At one point, it would have made Peter uncomfortable, but now it gave Peter a strange thrill.

Bucky examined the room. Peter’s bedroom was nearly identical, except for the posters and photographs on the wall. Bucky chuckled when he saw the IronMan and Captain America posters. _Apparently even superheroes idolize Steve,_ he thought.

Peter stretched and leaned against the back of the couch. “I try not to come here during the day, otherwise I won’t go back to the lab,” Peter said. “The bed is really comfortable.”

Bucky chuckled, and made his way across the room. For a moment Peter thought that he was about to lie in his bed, but Bucky stepped past the bedframe to look out the window.

“You’ve got a nice view,” Bucky said, peering at the streets below. He turned back to Peter, who was smiling slightly. Light reflected off a picture on Peter's bedside table, catching Bucky’s eye. He bent over to pick up the frame, examining the photo inside.

It was a picture of Peter and Tony Stark. They both were holding up two fingers behind the others' head, making bunny ears. Peter held the framed certificate that awarded him the Stark “internship.” The certificate was upside down in Peter’s hand. Bucky chuckled.

“I hadn’t realized how close you and Stark were,” Bucky said.

Peter was quiet for a moment. “Yeah, he was great.” He said.

Bucky registered the pain in Peter’s voice. He placed the picture back on the table, and gave Peter an apologetic look. “Sorry,” he said. “None of my business.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Peter said softly. He made his way across the room and sat on the foot of the bed. “People barely talk to me about Tony. I think people don’t want to remind me that he’s gone... It’s weird.”

Bucky gave Peter a strange look, before sitting on the bed next to him. “It sucks, doesn't it?” Bucky said. “We lost the people we love, and the world just keeps turning.”

It _did_ suck. It sucked because Tony had been more than Peter’s mentor.

Peter had been in love with Tony Stark. Although Peter had known that Tony was with Pepper, he fell more in love every time he was with the man. He knew that Tony was straight—and even if he had not been straight—Tony would have insisted that he was too old. So Peter never confessed his feelings. And now Tony was dead, and Peter had never told him. He hadn't told anyone.

Peter turned his head away, so that Bucky couldn’t see him blinking back tears. Bucky could have kicked himself. He shouldn’t have said anything. He shouldn’t have asked to see Peter’s room.

Without thinking, Bucky wrapped his thick vibranium arm around Peter’s shoulder. Peter almost gasped, but Bucky’s sudden closeness made breathing seem impossible.

“Thanks,” Peter said softly. 

There was a beat of silence.

“Thanks for not flinching away from my arm,” Bucky said. Suddenly Peter realized just how starved for touch the older man was. Peter relaxed, leaning into Bucky’s metal shoulder. Peter’s head rested against Bucky’s chest, and he closed his eyes.

They stayed like that, side by side for a minute. The silence between them wasn’t awkward this time.

Peter’s watch began to vibrate, and he sighed as he turned off the alarm. “I‘ve got a meeting in ten minutes,” he said.

Bucky didn’t want to let go, but he retracted his arm anyway. “Thanks for… um, showing me to my room,” Bucky said.

Peter blushed and gave him a small smile. “No problem.”

Bucky followed Peter out of the room and back towards the private elevator. They rode down to the penthouse in silence. When they entered the second elevator, Peter pressed the button for the 75th floor.

They rode down in silence. When the door opened, Peter hesitated. “This is where I get off,” he said.

“I’ll see you on Wednesday,” Bucky said.

“Sounds good,” Peter said, stepping out of the lift. “Or before then… you know, if you decide to move into the tower.”

Bucky gave Peter a smile as the doors began to slide shut. “We’ll see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I literally have no idea where to go with this story. I know that this chapter wasn’t super enteral, but I hope it was at least cute lol. 
> 
> I love reading your comments! Let me know what you did/didn’t like!
> 
> Any thoughts as to what should happen next?
> 
> Follow stevelovespeter on tumblr for more cuteness!


	3. Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Bucky meet again.

Peter was about ready to swear off dating entirely. He sighed as he left the restaurant and made his way back towards the tower. It was just getting dark.

The food had been good, but the conversation was drab. Peter’s blind date, Michael, had been nice enough, but he seemed far more interested in Spider-Man than Peter Parker. Peter felt like a jerk when he had declined Michale’s second date, but he didn’t want to lead him on.

It was the third blind date that MJ had set up for Peter that month. 

Peter had dated MJ for a few months after Tony died. Nearly five years ago, when Peter finally told MJ that he was gay, she was nothing but supportive. They stopped dating, and MJ made it her mission in life to find Peter the perfect boyfriend. It was an ambitious goal to say the least.

Maybe Peter was too picky, but dating as a superhero was anything but easy. It was hard for Peter to open up to new people. He wished that his secret identity hadn’t been stolen from him. He constantly found himself wondering whether the people that he dated liked Peter Parker, or Spider-Man. There was no way to know for certain these days.

Peter had gone on countless dates over the past six years. Nobody had been able to fill the Tony-shaped hole in Peter's heart.

Peter turned right, wandering down a dark alleyway. The sky was dark now, and the city lights were blooming like spring wildflowers. Peter stepped behind a dumpster, and pulled his suit out of his backpack. He removed his clothes, and stuffed them inside his bag, before donning his red and blue spider suit.

As soon as he cynched the suit, black nanites rolled down his arm, forming web shooters on his wrist. Peter slung his backpack over his shoulders, and pulled on his mask, before scaling the brick alley wall. He climbed the short building, and when he was on the roof, he shot a web at the building across the street.

He stepped off the edge of the building, and lights and colors of the city rushed past him. He swung through the air, shooting another web before releasing the current strand. 

It was a slow night. The evening was crime free. Peter gave an old man directions to the nearest convenience store. He helped a pregnant woman load her groceries into her car. Peter enjoyed helping people, even if he didn’t use his powers.

By ten oclock, Peter was exhausted. He swung through the streets, making his way down Park Avenue, back towards the tower. When he reached the building, he removed his mask, and slid down the glass towerfront.

Peter said hello to the security guards in the lobby, before clicking the elevator button. The doors slid open and Peter yawned as he climbed inside the lift. Peter checked his phone as the elevator rose through the tower. He smiled when he noticed the text message from Bucky.

_ We still on for tomorrow? _

Peter wasn’t sure why he was blushing, as he typed out his response.

_ Tomorrow sounds good. The interface is done. Come by anytime. _

Before his date, Peter had spent the entire day working on the neural interface. He was confident that the touch sensation would work, and he was excited for Bucky to test out the interface.

Three dots on Peter’s phone indicated that Bucky was typing. Peter's stomach did a backflip as he awaited Bucky’s response.

_ Sounds good. _

Peter frowned, slightly disappointed. He wasn’t sure why he had expected more. Bucky had always been rather reserved everytime that Peter had met in. 

The image of Bucky’s shirtless chest swam into Peter's head again. Peter had imagined the scene several times throughout the day. He took a deep breath and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

* * *

  
  


Wednesday came, and Bucky was nervous again… Nervous and excited. He had no idea why there were so many butterflies in his stomach as he entered the bustling lobby of the Avengers Tower. Bucky carried a duffle bag with him. He had decided that he might as well keep some clothes at the tower if he was going to be spending more time there.

Bucky made a quick pit stop at his bedroom on the 90th floor. He entered his room, and dropped the bag onto the bed, before turning on his heel to leave. He rode the elevator back down to the penthouse, and stepped inside the main elevator. 

He selected the button for the 35th floor. He tapped his metal fingers together anxiously as the doors slid shut. When the doors opened, Bucky stepped out into the bright landing in front of Peter’s lab.

The door was open, and Bucky heard Peter’s voice, talking to someone inside the room. Bucky hesitated before he reached the doorway, listening for a moment.

“So you didn’t like him at all?” Asked a cool female voice.

“No, not really,” Peter said to MJ. “He was nice and everything, but there wasn’t really a connection.”

“I’m running out of guys to set you up with,” MJ complained. “I think I’ve set you up with literally every eligible gay guy in my class... I’m going to have to start setting you up with my teachers soon.”

Peter chuckled, and Bucky’s stomach jolted at the sound.

“I wouldn’t mind dating a teacher,” Peter admitted.

Bucky raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t realized that Peter was gay. Bucky was tempted to stay and listen—to find out  _ exactly  _ what type of guys Peter liked… But his guilt got the better of him. Bucky would not have liked it if someone were to listen in on one of his private conversations.

Bucky cleared his throat loudly, before taking the last few steps towards the door. Peter and MJ looked up at him as he entered the lab. MJ’s curly hair was in a messy bun. Peter wore blue jeans and a green sweater. Peter smiled brightly at Bucky.

“Good morning Mr. Ba—Bucky,” Peter said, correcting himself again.

“Morning Pete,” Bucky said. He nodded to MJ. “Hello miss.”

“This is Bucky,” Peter said to MJ. He turned to Bucky. “This is MJ. She’s just here visiting me for lunch.” 

MJ waved to Bucky, who nodded again. Bucky noticed the chopsticks and take-out containers on the counter. “I can come back later if you’d like,” he offered. It was only eleven, and Bucky hadn’t expected to interrupt Peter’s lunch.

“No, no, we're just about done,” Peter said. He leaned over to scoop the rest of his chowmein into his mouth.

“Yeah, I’ve got to get to class anyway,” MJ said looking at her watch. She stood up and ruffled Peter’s hair, before sliding her backpack onto her shoulder. “It was nice to meet you Bucky,” MJ said, walking towards the door.

“Likewise,” Bucky said, giving MJ a small wave. His light blue eyes trailed back to Peter, who was trying to smooth his hair back into place. Peter wore a small frown, and Bucky thought he looked adorable with his disheveled hair and pink cheeks.

Peter cleared the table, and threw the garbage from his lunch into the bin. A pile of balck nanites lay on the clean counter—black sand scattered on white marble. Peter wiped his hands before turning back to Bucky, an excited grin appearing on his lips.

“So I finished the prototype for the neural interface,” Peter said, and his whole face seemed to light up. He picked up a small curved piece of metal, and handed it to Bucky. “You hook this behind your ear, and your mind becomes the control center for the nanites.”

Bucky examined the earpiece. It looked quite similar to the bluetooth earpieces that Bucky had seen people wear on the subway. “Sounds good,” he said simply.

“So today, I was wanting to test the touch sensation,” Peter said. “If you would remove your arm, then we can get started.”

Bucky nodded. He removed his jacket and shirt, and slid the vibranium limb off of his shoulder, placing it delicately on one of the empty tables against the wall. He made his way back to Peter’s table and sat on the counter, next to Peter's computer. He turned to look at Peter, feeling quite naked without the prosthetic. Peter gave him a reassuring smile, before turning back to his computer screen.

Peter typed something quite quickly. As soon as he hit ‘enter,’ the pile of black sand on the table swirled around, forming the shape of a solid black arm. Peter lifted the arm and carried it over to Bucky, who grimaced as Peter helped slide the arm onto his shoulder.

The arm sat there, nothing but dead weight on his shoulder. Bucky ran the fingers of his right hand across the shiny black limb. It was hard and smooth, as though it had been carved out of black stone. Yet the arm was lighter than his vibranium prosthetic.

Peter reached for the earpiece, which sat on the table beside Bucky. “Is it okay if I put this on you?” Peter asked. Bucky nodded, and tilted his head to the right, letting layers of his long hair fall to the side.

Peter tucked several strands of Bucky’s hair back. Bucky noticed the blush on Peter’s cheeks. Peter clicked a button on the earpiece, before gently hooking the instrument behind Bucky’s left ear. The earpiece vibrated to life.

Suddenly, Bucky could  _ feel  _ the new arm. He couldn’t move the arm, but he could feel the fabric of his jeans against the hard black elbow. “Woah,” Bucky said. It was like a phantom limb. Something Bucky often felt late at night.

“Is that a good woah, or a bad woah?” Peter asked, scanning Bucky’s face.

“It’s not bad, it’s just weird,” Bucky said. 

Peter nodded. “I’m going to touch the arm now,” he said. “Close your eyes, and tell me if you can feel it.” Peter could hear Bucky’s heartbeat quicken, but he didn’t comment.

Bucky closed his eyes, and Peter’s fingers danced along his prosthetic wrist. His touch was light. He poked and prodded, even scratched lightly. Bucky hummed at the sensation. “It feels good,” he said.

Bucky could feel touch with his vibranium arm, but the sensation was rather basic. He couldn’t feel temperatures or textures. It was nothing like the arm that Peter was designing.

“I’m going to touch your other arm and the prosthetic at the same time now,” Peter said cautiously. “Tell me if one poke feels more powerful than the other.”

Bucky nodded, keeping his eyes closed. Peter was standing rather close, nearly between Bucky’s spread legs. Bucky kept reminding himself that it would be unprofessional to pull Peter closer. But even with one arm, it would have been easy.

Peter poked Bucky's shoulders, one after the other. Then he poked the biceps, forearm, wrist, and each finger. He took both of Bucky’s hands in his own and squeezed.

“It feels about the same on each side,” Bucky said, opening his eyes to stare down at Peter.

Peter stared back for a moment, before releasing both of Bucky’s hands. He took a step back, going slightly pink. Peter cleared his throat. “That’s good,” he said. “I was expecting to need to make a lot of adjustments.”

Bucky smiled at Peter, and there was a warmth in his blue eyes that Peter hadn’t seen before. “Thank you for doing this Peter,” he said. “You have no idea…”

Peter smiled and nodded. “Of course,” he said. “You deserve it.”

That took Bucky by surprise. Bucky knew that he didn’t deserve the toruture that Hydra had inflicted, but he certainly never thought that he deserved nice things.

Peter caught the strange expression on Bucky’s face. “You okay Buck?” Peter asked.

_ Buck… _ Steve had always shortened his nickname like that…

And suddenly it was too much. Bucky’s parents and siblings were dead. Steve didn’t love him the same way, so he left Bucky too. Bucky had spent decades frozen in ice, only to be awakened as Hydra’s killing machine. He had  _ killed innocent people _ for Hydra. He never wanted to, but he had killed nonetheless…

And yet, there was Peter Parker, telling Bucky that he deserved nice things.

Bucky lowered his head, and used his right arm to wipe his eye. Peter placed a hand on Bucky’s right shoulder. Bucky shrugged him off, before looking up at Peter apologetically. “Sorry,” Bucky said. “It’s not you, it’s just… Can I have a minute?”

“Of course,” Peter said. He removed the prototype from Bucky’s shoulder and handed him the vibranium arm. “I’m going to run to the coffee shop around the corner,” Peter said. “Take all the time you need.”

“Wait,” Bucky said, as Peter moved towards the door. He looked up at Peter. The sadness was gone from Bucky’s face, replaced with a much more ambiguous expression. “Can I come with you?”

“Yeah, of course,” Peter said.

Bucky hopped off the counter, and pulled on his leather jacket. He tied his hair into a tight knot on the back of his head, before turning his head to the side, cracking his neck. He slid a black cotton glove over his metal arm, before following Peter out of the lab.

Peter pressed the elevator button, and the two avengers stepped inside the lift. It was awkward again. They were a pendulum, going back and forth. One minute, they were cozy and comfortable together, the next, they were self conscious and worried.

They emerged into the busy lobby of the tower. The doors of the press room were open, and Peter could see that Pepper was holding some sort of press conference inside. Peter pulled his hood on and tugged on Bucky’s sleeve. Peter led Bucky out the back entrance, away from the curious eyes of the press.

Park Avenue was always busy. The tower was so close to the Chrysler Building. The streets were never empty there. Peter kept his hood on, and Bucky put on his fake glasses as they walked. The glasses were not an effective disguise, but they gave him plausible deniability. Two Avengers would draw more attention than one.

When they reached the coffee shop, Peter stepped up to the cash register and ordered two medium dark roasts. Peter pulled out his wallet, but Bucky insisted on paying.

“It’s the least I can do,” Bucky said when Peter protested. “Coffee for a new arm… it’s not a fair trade, but it’s a start.”

“Fine,” Peter said with a chuckle.

The cashier watched the exchange in bewilderment.  _ Spider-Man  _ and  _ the Winter Soldier  _ had just ordered coffee from him. The cashier knew that his mother wouldn’t believe him when he told her later that night.

They talked for a while at the coffee shop. Peter told Bucky about his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Bucky wasn’t sure if it would be rude to ask about Peter’s parents, so he didn’t ask. Bucky told Peter about the trouble him and Steve used to get into. Peter noticed how sad Bucky looked every time he talked about Steve.

When they had finished their drinks, they left the small shop and made their way back to the tower.

They used the back entrance again, in case the press conference was still going on. When they reached the elevators however, the press room doors were closed, and the lobby was far less crowded.

It was nearly 1:00 when Peter and Bucky returned to the lab. Bucky removed his jacket and shirt again, and Peter helped him exchange his vibranium arm for the nano prototype.

“The only other thing I wanted to do today, was test out the temperature sensitivity,” Peter said.

Bucky smiled. “I can’t feel temperature with the vibranium arm,” Bucky said, sounding more excited than he had intended. “I can only feel touch.”

Peter nodded. “Hopefully this will be a nice feature,” he said. “It’s good to be able to tell when something is hot or cold…” he said, lamely.

Peter sat down behind his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard. He pressed enter, and stood up, looking around. Peter pulled a lighter out of one of his desk drawers, and stepped over to Bucky.

“I’ve just turned on temperature sensitivity. You should be able to feel almost any sensation with this arm,” Peter said, running his fingers along the dark shiny surface. “Except for pain. Pain is the only thing the neural interface isn’t programmed for.”

Bucky smirked. “No complaints here.”

Peter took a step back, and struck the lighter in his hand. A small flame appeared. He held the flame away from Bucky. “I’m not going to touch you with this,” Peter promised. “I’m just going to hold it a few inches away from your fingers, to see if you can feel any warmth.

Excitement bubbled inside Bucky’s chest as Peter stepped closer. Bucky used his right hand to lift the paralized prosthetic on his left. Peter brought the flame within six inches of the shiny black fingers, and Bucky gasped.

Peter let the flame die. “Was that okay?” he asked, sounding concerned. “It didn’t hurt, right?”

“No, no, it felt amazing,” Bucky breathed, lowering the nano arm to rest at his side. “I haven’t felt warmth with my arm like that since… well since I had my real arm.”

Bucky was grinning now. Peter marveled at how white his teeth were. He had never seen the man with such a wide smile. Peter liked Bucky’s smile.

“Can you do it again?” Bucky asked. “No wait—can you use your hand instead?”

Peter furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Bucky’s grin turned sheepish. “I mean… I want to see if your hand feels warm,” he said. “You know, just to see if the arm can register less extreme temperatures.”

“Okay, sure,” Peter said, slipping the lighter into his pocket.

Tentatively, Peter stepped forward, and reached for Bucky’s prosthetic arm. He slipped his hand inside Bucky’s, and squeezed the artificial hand. Bucky couldn’t squeeze back, but he could feel Peter’s warmth. 

“Your hand _ is _ warm,” Bucky said, looking down at Peter in amazement. Peter was blushing again, and Bucky liked it. Pink was a nice color on Peter’s freckled cheeks. Peter stared back into Bucky’s blue eyes for a moment.

“Knock knock!” came a voice from the doorway.

Peter let go of Bucky’s hand, which fell limply to Bucky’s side. He took a step back, just before Bruce’s massive green form entered the lab.

“Hey Bruce,” Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Heya Pete,” Bruce said. “Hey Buck,” he said to the super soldier. Bruce pushed his glasses higher onto the bridge of his nose as he turned back to Peter. “Do you mind if I borrow a couple of condensers?” he asked. “I’ve ordered more, but I’m still waiting for them to show up.”

“Yeah of course,” Peter said. “Beakers are in the bottom cabinet on the left.”

“Thanks pal,” Bruce said, making his way across the lab. “How is the arm going?” He asked, bedding down to pilfer through the cabinet. He pulled several glass tubes from within, piling them carefully in his arms.

“It’s going great!” Bucky said, his voice thick with excitement. “Like  _ really  _ great. I can feel the temperature with it, and it feels more balanced already.”

Bruce smiled at Bucky and Peter. It was the most Bucky had ever said to Bruce. It was the happiest Bucky had sounded in a long time.

Bruce wished them good luck before he left Peter’s lab… Then the awkwardness was back.

Peter turned to Bucky. “So I’m going to work on programming the arms motion next,” he said. “Then I need to design the housing unit to hold the nanites when they’re not in use.” 

“How long will all that take?” Bucky asked.

Peter scratched his chin, thinking. “About a week? I could maybe get it done by Monday if nothing happens this weekend… But the crime rate is always higher on the weekend so… realistically, I think I’ll be done with the upgrade on Wednesday.”

Bucky frowned. He didn’t want to rush Peter, but he also didn’t want to wait a whole week to test the next arm. He also didn’t want to wait that long to see Peter again.

“I brought a bag,” Bucky said.

“A bag?” Peter asked.

Bucky hesitated. “Yeah, like a suitcase. I might as well just stay at the tower.”

Peter smiled. “You should!” Peter said. “The penthouse has been lonely since I moved in.”

Bucky was smiling now. He was smiling because Peter didn’t mind his company. Maybe Peter even  _ enjoyed  _ Bucky’s company.

“Okay,” Bucky said. “I might go home to grab a few more things, but I’ll probably just stay here tonight.” Bucky shrugged the prototype off of his shoulder and passed it back to Peter, before reaching for his vibranium arm. He slid the prosthetic back on, and the limb vibrated when it connected.

“Okay,” Peter said. He looked at his watch. “I’m going to work on the kinetics a little while longer, but I’ve got a meeting at four.”

Bucky nodded, pulling his jacket on. “I guess I’ll see you around the tower then?” He asked. 

Peter wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but Bucky sounded hopeful.

“Me and Bruce have been meaning to go to the store,” Peter said. “We don’t have much to cook, so we’ve been ordering takeout… you could join us if you want. All food is covered by Stark Industries.”

Bucky's smile brightened at the prospect of sharing a meal with Peter. 

“Dinner would be nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave comments if you liked the story! Comments make my day!!!
> 
> Also follow stevelovespeter on tumblr for more cuteness!


	4. Brokeback Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky kinda moves in.  
> Dinner  
> Movie night feat Jake Gyllenhaal

After his appointment with Peter, Bucky went back to his apartment in Brooklyn, to gather some of his things. The apartment was empty. Sam was in DC again. Sam went back and forth between DC and New York a lot, resulting in a frequently empty apartment. 

Several years ago, Bucky would have loved to come home to an empty apartment. He was an introvert, and had always felt that alone time recharged his social battery.

But these days, Bucky’s solitude wasn’t voluntary. The empty apartment didn’t energize him like it once would have. It just made him feel lonely. His constant isolation was due to the fact that all of Bucky’s friends were gone. Bucky didn’t have many friends left, besides Sam.

Bucky pulled his phone charger out of the outlet next to the couch. He collected several books from the dusty bookshelf and piled them onto the sofa. He made his way into his bedroom, and pulled an empty backpack out from beneath his bed. He removed Steve’s old sketchbook from his nightstand drawer, pausing to run his fingers along the worn leather cover.

He stuffed a few more outfits into his backpack, before returning to the living room for his books. He carefully piled the books on top of his clothes, making sure that Steve’s old sketchbook was on top. He didn’t want to risk bending the cover of his friend's old book.

  
It was nearly 5:00 when Buck returned to the tower. He rode the elevator up to the penthouse, before taking the private elevator up to his room on the 90th floor. He dropped his backpack on the couch, and began unloading. He placed Steve’s sketchbook on the dark wooden table beside his bed, and stacked his other books neatly on the desk. 

Bucky entered the bathroom and opened the doors to the walk in closet. He found several hangers inside. He grabbed his backpack and duffle bag from the bedroom, and hung his shirts inside the closet. He hadn’t brought much. Most of his clothes were still back at the apartment, but Bucky didn’t need much.

When he had unpacked the few things he brought, Bucky sat down on the wide bed. It was comfortable—almost  _ too  _ comfortable for a seasoned soldier like himself. 

Bucky sighed and checked the time on his phone. He had made arrangements to meet Peter at six in the penthouse for dinner.

His thoughts drifted back to Peter’s brown eyes, and the warmth of his soft hands. It had only been a few hours since he had felt Peter’s touch—both on the nano prototype, and his flesh arm—but he was already craving Peter’s fingers again.

Bucky scowled and shook his head. Bucky knew that he was already on the road to having a decent friendship with Peter. Bucky was in dire need of new friends. There was no need to complicate his relationship with the kid.

Bucky got to his feet and trudged over to the door. He exited the room, letting the door swing shut behind him as he made his way down the hallway. There was no light shining under Peter’s door when he passed it. Bucky figured that He was still in his meeting.

Bucky took the private elevator down the Penthouse. It was such a gaudy room.

On the right side of the room was a sitting area. Several steps descended into a lowered circle, forming a round conversation pit. The dark red leather couch was in the shape of a semicircle, and there were several large black chairs. A large circular chandelier hung above the seating area on the right side of the room, and a fire burned in the solid concrete fireplace.

Bucky kicked off his shoes and plopped down onto the curved sofa. He stretched out and looked at the clock on the wall.

The elevator doors slid open a few minutes later. Peter and Bruce emerged from the lift. Bruce carried several plastic takeout bags. The smell of Indian food wafted through the air.

Peter looked exhausted, but his expression brightened when he saw Bucky on the couch. 

“Hey Bucky,” Peter said. “You get your stuff moved in already?”

Bucky sat up, a slight smile appearing on his lips. “I did,” he said. “I didn’t bring too much stuff, only the essentials. I don’t want Sam to come home to a completely empty apartment.”

Bruce placed the food on the island in the kitchen across from the sitting area. “Sam should move in too,” he said as he opened the cabinets, and pulled several plates out of the cupboard. “It doesn’t make sense for you guys to pay rent when you could just stay here. There’s more than enough space.”

Bucky nodded. “I’ll text him and see if he wants to.”

“I’m going to run upstairs to change,” Peter said, clicking the button for the second elevator. The doors slid open, and Peter stepped inside the lift. The doors slid shut, and Peter vanished from Bucky’s sight.

Bruce placed several serving spoons out next to the takeout containers. “Help yourself,” he said, gesturing to the plates.

“Thanks,” Bucky grunted. He stepped up to the counter, and grabbed a plate. His stomach rumbled as he piled the rice and curry onto his plate. He carried his food over to the dining room table, choosing a seat in the middle.

The second elevator doors opened again, and Peter emerged, wearing a pair of black sweats and a tank top. Peter stepped into the kitchen behind Bruce, and began fixing himself a plate. Bucky’s eyes darkened as he stared at the younger man. Peter’s tank top was loose, and Bucky could see the smooth expanse of Peter’s torso through the openings in the side. His mouth began to water, and it had nothing to do with the food.

Bruce sat at the head of the table. Peter set his plate down at the open spot across from Bucky, but before he could sit down the elevator doors  _ dinged  _ opened again.

In walked Pepper, wearing a tight black dress and carrying a briefcase. A young girl, no older than ten or eleven, held Pepper’s hand. The girl had dark hair, which fell in waves over her shoulders. Her eyes lit up when she saw Peter.

“Uncle Peter!” Morgan cried, releasing her mothers hand to run towards Peter.

Morgan laughed as Peter picked her up and spun her around. “It’s good to see you Mormo,” Peter said when he had set her back down. “I swear you get taller everytime I see you.”

“I  _ am  _ taller,” Morgan said, puffing out her chest in pride.

Pepper smiled at the exchange. She set her briefcase on the kitchen counter and adjusted her ponytail. “Do you guys mind if we eat with you tonight?” Pepper asked. “I’ve still got some work to get done tonight, and Morgan's sitter is sick.”

Bruce chucked. “Pepper, Stark Industries bought this meal, and pays our rent,” he said with a grin. “You don’t need to ask to join us.”

Pepper smiled as she reached for a plate. “This is your  _ home _ ,” she said. “Just because Stark funds the Avengers doesn’t mean I have the right to invade your personal space. You guys can always turn me away.”

Peter smiled at her warmly. “You’re family Pepper,” he said. “We would never turn you away.”

Peter’s words hit Bucky hard, and a strange longing filled his chest. Bucky didn’t exactly know what he was longing for, but some sort of yearning was definitely there.

“I want to sit next to Peter,” Morgan said, stepping back into the kitchen to fix herself a plate.

Peter pulled the seat next to him away from the table. “Well I want to sit next to you too,” he said. Bucky never would have imagined a scenario where he was jealous of an eleven year old girl, and yet here it was.

Pepper sat at the other head of the table, next to Bucky and across from Bruce. 

Morgan carried her plate to the table and sat next to Peter. Morgan talked Peter’s ear off throughout the meal. She told him all about her summer and the new things she was learning in school. She asked Peter about his new position at Stark, and his hero work. Bucky thought it was cute—the way Peter nodded and responded to her barrage of questions.

Pepper made polite conversation with Bucky throughout dinner. She asked about Bucky’s most recent trip to Wakanda, and Bucky asked her about the business. When the conversation turned to the nano arm prototypes, Bucky lit up. He told her about their progress, and he couldn’t contain his excitement as he told her about the temperature sensitivity.

“There’s still a lot of work to do,” Peter said, when he overheard their conversation. “I’m working on mobilizing the arm, so that Bucky can actually—you know—move it. I’m hoping the next prototype will be done by Wednesday.”

“I’m impressed,” Pepper said, smiling proudly. “And I know Tony would be impressed too.”

Bucky didn’t miss how the light in Peter’s eye vanished at the mention of Tony Stark's name.

“I can’t really take any credit.” Peter said, trying to keep the sadness from seeping through his voice. “Tony did all the legwork. He developed the nanites and the original neural interface. Really all I’m doing is reconfiguring the technology to work better as a prosthesis.”

Pepper smiled at Peter. “Don’t sell yourself short kid.”

  
  


Bucky insisted on loading everyone's dishes when dinner was over. He figured it was the least he could do to begin to repay everyone for the kindness they were showing him.

Pepper and Morgan left the penthouse, and Buce took the elevator up to his own quarters. Bucky stated the dishwasher, and Peter plopped down on the red sofa, scrolling through his phone. Bucky smiled. He had been hoping for a more private dinner with Peter, and was glad to see that Peter hadn’t gone off to his bedroom yet.

Bucky dried his hands, and walked over to the sitting room. He sat in one of the black armchairs across from Peter, and stared into the fireplace. Bucky wanted to start a conversation with Peter, but his mind couldn't seem to form any appropriate words.

Peter burst into laughter, and Bucky gave him a curious look. “What’s funny?” He asked.

Peter sat up, wiping a tear from his eye. “Nothing, it’s just a meme. I don’t think you would get it.” Bucky frowned and Peter gave him an apologetic look. “I mean, you  _ might  _ get it, but it’s weird humor,” he said.

Peter stood up and walked over to stand behind Bucky. He planted his elbows on the back of Bucky’s chair, and leaned down, showing his phone to the older man.

Bucky frowned, scratching his head in confusion as he started at the image on Peter’s phone. It was a crude drawing of a snail, in front of a cloudy backdrop. The words  _ GENZ _ , and  _ DEPRESSION  _ were the only words on the image. 

“How is this funny?” Bucky asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Peter chuckled. “It probably isn’t,” he said. “I’ve just got a weird sense of humor.” Peter stood up, and as he moved his phone away, his forearm brushed against the flesh of Bucky’s shoulder. Peter returned to his spot on the red sofa. Bucky wished he had stayed.

“Maybe it’s because I’m old,” Bucky lamented, a ghost of a smirk appearing on his lips.

Peter looked him up and down. “You’re not  _ that  _ old,” Peter assured him. “You don’t look a day over 95.”

Bucky laughed, and Peter grinned at the hearty sound. “Yeah, well don’t go telling people,” Bucky said. “The last thing I need is for people to be reminded of my age. Nobody will ever want to date an old grandpa.”

Peter chuckled, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes, before looking at Bucky. They locked eyes, staring at each other for a moment longer than natural. It took all of Peter’s courage to say the next sentence.

“Some people like older guys.”

* * *

  
  


Thursday seemed to drag on for forever. There wasn’t much for Bucky to do at the tower. In the morning he worked out in the gym, and in the afternoon he finished the book he had been reading. He knew that Peter was busy in the lab, so he decided not to seek him out. He didn’t want to be a distraction.

Bucky ate lunch with Bruce. Bucky had been pleasantly surprised to discover that he felt at ease in the green giant’s company. He was beginning to wonder if he had an affinity for studious people. Peter was in the zone—as he so often was when we worked with new tech—so he ate lunch in the lab. Peter went to his Aunt May’s for dinner, so Bucky didn’t see him at all on Thursday.

Bucky had been hoping to see Peter more often. When Friday came, Bucky was seriously considering returning to the apartment. He paced back and forth in his bedroom, until a vibration in his pocket captured his attention. He pulled out his phone, and a grin appeared on his face. It was a text from Peter.

_ Hey Bucky! I’m having a couple friends over to watch a movie tonight. We’re going to start at 8. You should join us. If you want to. :) _

Bucky smiled, pleased that Peter had invited him. But his smile turned into a frown, as he wondered who Peter had invited. A boyfriend?

Bucky thought for a moment, before replying.

_ Count me in. _

Now Bucky was nervous. He thought back to Peter’s comment about ‘some people liking older men.’ Those words had echoed in Bucky’s ears since Wednesday. Shortly after their conversation on wednesday night, Peter left to go patrolling, leaving Bucky’s head swimming with thoughts. Bucky wished that he had asked Peter for clarification.

  
  


MJ had been the one to convince Peter to invite Bucky to movie night. Peter was glad when Bucky accepted the invitation.

Peter went down to the lobby at 6:50 on Friday night to meet the pizza delivery girl. She was in awe, delivering pizza to Spider-Man inside the Avengers tower. Peter gave her a good tip, and carried the pizzas to the elevator. Peter had ordered eight pizzas, and he still wondered if it would be enough for four people—two of whom were enhanced, with much faster burning metabolisms.

The elevator bell rang, and the doors slid open onto the penthouse living room. Peter walked into the room. His sight was obscured by the stack of pizza boxes in his arms, so he relied on his spider senses to lead him to the kitchen counter.

“Woah, there, you need some help?” Bucky asked. He was on the red sofa, in a black tank top and grey sweatpants. He hopped up immediately and moved to take a box from Peter. 

“I got it,” Peter assured him. He had enhanced strength after all.

Ned and MJ arrived together. Ned was in charge of drinks. He carried a case of whiteclaws and a bottle of Malibu. MJ had been in charge of choosing the movie. Peter was horrified when she pulled the movie case out of her bag.

“You’re kidding.” Peter said. It wasn’t a question. She  _ had  _ to be kidding. Ned giggled at Peter’s reaction.

“Nope,” MJ said with a smirk. “Have you ever actually seen it? It’s actually not a bad movie.”

Peter hesitated. “I haven’t seen it,” he admitted.

“What are we watching?” Bucky asked, twiddling his vibranium fingers together.

MJ smirked. “Brokeback Mountain.”

Peter was blushing, and Bucky understood why. Bucky had never watched the film, but Sam used to jokingly refer to him and Steve as “those guys from Brokeback Mountain.” He could only assume it was something homoerotic… Although a one sided romance would have been more appropriate.

“We don’t have to watch it if you don’t want to,” Peter said.

Bucky’s expression was unreadable. “No it’s fine.”

Peter hesitated. He hadn’t told Bucky that he was gay. Bucky was from a different time, and part of Peter wondered if that would change his opinion of him…

“Do you know what it’s about?” Peter asked, unsure. “It’s a… guy on guy film,” Peter said, not so eloquently.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, perplexed. “A gay romance? I’m down,” he said simply. He wondered if Peter could tell that his words had a double meaning.

MJ put the disc in the blu ray player. Peter opened the cabinets, and carried cups and plates to the kitchen counter. They poured their drinks, and piled pizza onto their plates. 

All four of them sat on the long red sofa. Peter turned on the projector, and the film began playing on the wall above the fireplace. Peter sat in between Bucky and MJ. 

It was an interesting movie. It wasn’t what Peter or Bucky had expected. It could have been Peter’s imagination, but everything MJ adjusted her position on the couch, she bumped Peter in Bucky’s direction. Soon their shoulders were touching. Peter’s ears felt hot, and he was grateful that they had dimmed the lights.

Then the sex scene came and  _ oh my god,  _ Peter thought he was going to die. Peter shifted uncomfortably. 

Bucky used his right hand to brush the hair out of his eyes. As he put his hand down, his fingers brushed against Peter’s knee.

“Sorry,” Bucky whispered.

“S’okay,” Peter whispered back.

Partway through the movie Bucky leaned back and stretched his arm. Peter’s heart skipped a beat, and for a second he thought that Bucky was going to wrap his arm around him. At the last second, Bucky’s elbow rested on the back of the couch next to Peter. 

Bucky’s forearm brushed against Peter’s shoulder, but Bucky didn’t apologize this time.

Ned was scratching his chin, staring at the screen. “Is it just me, or does Jack sort of look like Quentin Beck?”

Peter raised his eyebrows, surprised. He looked at the screen, and back to Ned. “I don’t see it,” Peter said.

By the end of the movie, Bucky’s arm was resting comfortably against Peter’s shoulder. When the credits started, Peter was disappointed when Bucky’s arm moved away from his skin. 

Ned went into the other room to grab the bottle of Malibu. He returned with several shot glasses. He poured four shots and passed them around.

“I can’t get drunk,” Bucky admitted.

“Really?” Peter asked, surprised. 

Bucky shook his head and passed the shot glass to Peter. “You take mine,” he said, giving Peter a sweet smile.

Peter grinned and nodded. He took the first shot with Ned and MJ. Then Peter proceeded to throw back the second shot glass. The coconut rum tasted good, and a warmth began in Peter’s stomach, spreading outward to every finger.

Bucky got a coke from the fridge, and returned to his spot on the couch next to Peter.

Several shots later, a peter was feeling  _ good.  _ He wore a goofy smile, and his laugh was louder than usual.

“We should play never have I ever,” Ned suggested.

MJ agreed, and moved to sit in one of the chairs instead. Peter explained how the game worked to Bucky. “If you’ve done it, you take a drink.”

Peter leaned in towards Bucky and whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry if this game is boring for you,” he said, looking down at the cookie in Bucky’s hand. The coconut rum was thick on Peter’s breath.

Bucky gave him a small smile. “It’ll still be fun,” he said, color creeping under the stubble on his face.

“I’ll go first,” MJ said, refilling her drink. She topped off Ned and Peter’s cups as well. She leaned back in the chair, deep in thought. “Never have I ever… Kissed a woman.”

Ned, Bucky and Peter all frowned. They took a drink.

It was Ned’s turn now. He gave MJ a gloating look. “Never have I ever kissed a man,” he said with a smirk.

Ned looked at everyone expectantly. Peter and MJ drank. Bucky shrugged. “Not yet,” he said.

Peter was speechless.  _ So was it something that he was open to? _

It was Peter’s turn now. He leaned back and scratched his head, thinking. “Never have I ever smoked a cigarette.” Bucky and MJ both drank.

Then it was Bucky’s turn. He frowned, unsure of what to say. Part of him wanted to impress the room with his creativity. “Never have I ever taken a Snapchat picture.”

Ned laughed, and took a drink with Peter and MJ.

Peter was  _ drunk  _ now. He had taken a drink every time. “I’m either losing, or winning this game,” he said, his words slurring slightly.

They played several more rounds. Soon Peter was leaning against Bucky’s right shoulder, and Bucky relaxed back into him.

An hour later, Ned was asleep. His head lolled onto his chest, and his mouth was open. MJ made her way back to the couch, and suggested another movie. 

“That’s a good ideeeea,” Peter said, his words running together. Bucky smiled at Peter, and had to fight the urge to reach out and touch Peter with his hands. But not like that. If Bucky ever did make a move on Peter, he wanted to make sure that Peter was sober. Bucky had been brainwashed. He knew the importance of a clear mind.

MJ put the movie Tangled on the projector. Bucky chuckled as MJ drunkenly sang along to the songs. Peter and MJ passed the Malibu back and forth, drinking straight from the bottle.

MJ was the next to fall asleep. Peter yawned sleepily, slouching against Bucky’s shoulder again. His eyes closed, and his head landed on Bucky’s broad shoulder.

Bucky wasn’t tired, but he was suddenly quite comfortable.

Peter drifted off to sleep, his breaths turning deep and slow. Bucky tentatively reached out to brush the hair off of Peter’s forehead with a metal finger. He grinned. He couldn’t help it. He was happy. It had been a while since he had been even remotely cuddled up to anyone.

Bucky turned back to the movie, basking in the light of the princess with glowing hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Kudos + Comments = motivation juice for me to keep writing
> 
> Follow stevelovespeter on tumblr for more cuteness!


	5. Kinetics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I literally had no idea where to take this story. Thank god for TFATWS for giving me ideas lol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love that Bucky is in therapy in the show, I’m so glad they’re addressing his mental health.
> 
> Please comment if you like the story, it give me motivation to keep writing.
> 
> Also follow stevelovespeter on tumblr for more cuteness.

Bucky had a crush on Peter Parker. He finally admitted it to himself after Peter fell asleep on his shoulder on Friday night. Bucky forgot all about the movie. He listened to Peter’s breathing, and stared down at Peter’s pink lips. They looked soft.

Bucky had seriously considered lifting him, and carrying him upstairs to sleep in his bed… But Ned and MJ were both fast asleep on the couches. Bucky didn’t want to be the one responsible for breaking up the slumber party. So he stayed on the couch for twenty minutes after Peter fell usleep, relishing the feel of Peter against him.

When Ned’s deep breaths turned to heavy snores, Bucky abandoned ship. He stood up, and gently slid a pillow into place under Peter’s neck. Peter mumbled something sleepily. Bucky smiled at him, before taking the elevator up to his own bedroom. He had really wanted to stay on the couch with Peter—perhaps even snuggle a little closer—but Bucky wasn’t one to take advantage.

The couches were empty when Bucky entered the penthouse on Saturday morning. Bruce informed Bucky that Peter had gone to spend the weekend at his Aunt May’s house in Queens. Bucky ate lunch with Bruce on Saturday. It wasn’t as awkward as Bucky would have expected. 

When Peter still had not returned to the tower by Sunday night, Bucky was anxious. He was worried that he had done something to upset Peter. His fears were put to rest when he received a text message from Peter.

_Hey there! Hope you’re having a good weekend. I finished the kinetic controls for the arm. Tomorrow is my aunt's birthday, so I won’t be back at the tower until Tuesday. Want to come by my lab on Tuesday morning? :)_

It was just an update on their project, but Bucky’s stomach did a backflip when he saw the smiley face. He was suddenly quite nervous, and it took him ten minutes to concoct his short response.

_Yes, thank you Peter :) Tell your aunt happy birthday._

Bucky wasn’t sure what else there was to say. He was excited to try out the new prototype, but he was more excited to see Peter again. Peter had originally said that the next version would be done by Wednesday, and Bucky was glad that he would be seeing Peter a day sooner than planned.

  
  


Monday mornings were reserved for Bucky’s therapy. When Bucky returned to the US, therapy was one of the conditions of his pardon. He had already completed the required number of hours the year before, but Bucky decided to maintain his weekly appointment. 

At first he hated therapy. Bucky usually locked his emotions away. Talking about his past trauma was something that made Bucky incredibly uncomfortable. He would have quit going, had it not been for his therapist Joanna.

Joanna was a soldier too. She understood what war did to the mind—what killing did to the mind. More importantly, she didn’t take any of Bucky’s bullshit. She called him out when he lied or gave blanket answers. 

The process was slow, but after nearly three years of weekly sessions, Bucky had learned to recognize patterns in his own behavior. Joanna had taught Bucky several methods for coping with his nightmares and negative emotions. The nightmares still came sometimes—but they didn’t make him fall apart quite like they used to.

Over the past few years, Joanna frequently encouraged Bucky to try dating again. Bucky had gone on a few dates. He even used dating websites and apps. It was new and confusing, and every date had made Bucky incredibly uncomfortable. He had dated a few women and a couple guys. Some of them knew who he was. Others didn’t. It was a conversation that he dreaded—explaining his age, and his body’s enhancements. Not to mention the brainwashing, and the blood on his hands.

Bucky wasn’t sure why he mentioned his crush on Peter to Joanna. Perhaps he was still high on the feeling of Peter’s body, nestled so closely against his side. Joanna asked Bucky about his week. Bucky told her about the nanotech arm that Peter was designing. He told her how exciting it had been, feeling temperature with the prototype arm. 

“I really like Peter a lot too,” Bucky said, going suddenly quiet. He ran his fingers across the velvet pillow in his lap.

Joanna raised an eyebrow and leaned back in her chair. “That’s good,” she said. “You’ve never mentioned liking someone before in any of our sessions. Do you want to be in a relationship?”

Bucky hesitated. “I think so.” He wanted physical intimacy. It had been a long time since Bucky had been sexually intimate with anyone. He’d kissed a few dates over the past couple years, but Bucky hadn’t had sex since 1943. He certainly missed it.

“Have you thought about asking him out?” Joanna asked.

Bucky squirmed in his chair for a moment. “Yes,” he admitted.

“Why don’t you?” Joanna asked.

Bucky thought for a moment. “The last guy I really had feelings for… it just didn’t turn out how I wanted,” Bucky said. Part of Bucky wished that he had told Steve how he felt before he left, but Bucky already knew that Steve didn’t feel the same way for him. When Steve told Bucky that he was going back in time to return the infinity stones, Bucky knew that Steve wouldn’t be returning. Steve didn’t have to tell him. He just knew. There was no need to make their last few days together awkward.

“Steve?” Joannna asked.

Bucky nodded. “I don’t want to feel that way again… the way I felt when he left. It—it wasn’t good for me.”

Joanna let Bucky’s words ring in the air for a moment before responding. “But you never told Steve how you felt,” she said. “It’s scary—putting yourself out there like that. I can’t guarantee that you won’t get hurt again, but unless you’re willing to try, you’re not going to find the type of companionship that you really want.”

Bucky scratched his head. “I’m just not sure.”

“Why do you like Peter?” Joanna asked.

Bucky smiled, a slight blush creeping onto his face. “He’s nice. And smart. And he knows my history with Hydra, and what it’s like to be an avenger.” _And his smile. His eyes. His body—thin and toned—calling Bucky’s name, longing to be touched by Bucky’s fingers._

“What’s the worst that could happen if you asked him out?” Joanna asked.

Bucky frowned. “He could say no,” he said. “It could mess up our dynamic. He might not even want to be friends.”

“Okay… And what’s the best case scenario?” Joanna asked.

Bucky was silent for a moment. Uninvited images appeared in his mind's eye. Flashes of brown eyes and tangled limbs. Sweaty bodies, writhing together under the bedsheets. Moans, and panting, and kissing, and…

“He could say yes.”

Bucky didn’t make any promises, but he told Joanna that he would at least think about it.

* * *

  
Peter’s weekend had been busy. Peter’s life had been so busy with work, and patrolling, and he was glad to spend the weekend with his aunt. He slept in his old room at May’s apartment on Saturday and Sunday. He had gone patrolling on Saturday night. He stopped a robbery and a carjacking, before he made his way back to May’s place. Peter stayed up late on Saturday night, working on his computer—testing different movements on a virtual model of Bucky’s arm.

On Sunday, Peter helped May paint her living room. She had chosen a rather bold shade of blue, that Peter quite liked. When the living room furniture was back in its place, and the paint fumes had dissipated, Peter and May curled up on the couch to watch a few movies. When May went to bed, Peter worked on the kinetic controls for the arm again. He texted Bucky, and they made plans to meet on Tuesday morning in his lab.

Monday was May’s birthday. Peter and May spent the day window shopping. Peter got May a beautiful pair of silver earrings for her birthday, and treated her to lunch and ice cream. He had to practically fight May when she tried to pay.

Happy came by the apartment at 8:00 to pick May up for dinner. He wore a dark suit, and smelled of cologne. May had told Peter earlier, that Happy had planned something romantic. Peter followed May and Happy out of the apartment, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He hugged his aunt goodbye, and shook Happy’s hand. Peter promised May that he would visit again soon.

It was nearly 10:00 when Peter returned to the tower. Except for the security guards, the lobby was empty. When the elevator doors opened onto the penthouse, Peter found the lavish space empty as well. He made his way up to the 90th floor, where his room was located. He glanced down the hall when he got to his bedroom door. There was no light shining underneath Bucky’s door. Peter assumed the soldier was asleep, so he entered his bedroom and readied himself for bed.

  
  


Peter woke early on Tuesday morning. He showered and dressed in a pair of jeans, a button up shirt, and a maroon sweater. The penthouse was empty when Peter entered the kitchen. He made his way down to the lobby, which was bustling with people. Peter nodded to a couple of Stark employees that he knew as he passed them, making his way out the front doors and onto Park Avenue.

Peter walked down the block, and turned the corner. When he reached the coffee shop, he pulled the doors open, and found a place in line.

It was the same coffee shop that Peter had taken Bucky to the week before. Peter frequented the shop at least twice a week. It was usually pretty busy in the morning.

When he got to the counter, Peter ordered a medium dark roast and a cheddar jalapeño bagel. Peter stepped to the side to wait for his order, and his eyes fell upon a man in the corner of the shop. 

The man sat facing the wall, and his long dark hair fell in a curtain around his face, hiding his features. He was flipping through the pages of a book. With his right hand, the man took a sip of his coffee, and turned the page of his book with his left. He wore dark gloves and a leather jacket, but as he turned the page, Peter saw a glint of light reflect off the exposed metal of the man’s wrist.

Peter took his coffee and bagel from the cashier, before making his way over to Bucky’s table.

Peter cleared his throat, and Bucky looked up warily. His expression softened into a warm smile when he recognized Peter.

“Good morning Peter,” Bucky said brightly, closing the leather book in his hand. He motioned for Peter to sit in the chair across from him, before slipping his book into his bag.

Peter pulled the chair out and sat down, reaching for the sugar packets on the table. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” Peter admitted. “How was your weekend?”

“It wasn’t super eventful,” Bucky said. “I just hung out at the tower.” He pulled a hair tie from his wrist, and tied half of his hair back into a bun. “I like this place a lot,”he said, looking around the busy coffee shop.

“What are you reading?” Peter asked, and Bucky went slightly pink. Peter’s mind went straight to erotica, and Peter blushed slightly. “I’m just curious, I don’t mean to pry—I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Bucky’s blush faded, and he chuckled at how flustered Peter was. He reached inside his bag and pulled out the old leather book. “I wasn’t reading,” Bucky admitted. He gently slid the book across the table towards Peter, who picked it up gingerly. “This is Steve’s old sketchbook,” Bucky explained.

Peter was quiet as he flipped through the pages of charcoal drawings. There were several sketches of a woman that Peter recognized as Peggy Carter, the founder of SHIELD. Several pages contained landscapes, and drawings of the city. There were even a few drawings of Bucky—his hair much shorter, and a wide grin on his face.

Peter closed the book and carefully passed it back to Bucky. “You must miss him,” Peter said softly. 

Bucky stared at the leather bound book for a moment, before slipping it back into his bag. “Yeah, I do,” Bucky admitted. “But Steve made his choice. He lived his life. He got the happy ending that he always wanted.”

Bucky’s words hung in the air, and Peter didn’t know how to respond. He took a sip of his coffee, before looking into Bucky’s blue eyes. “It still sucks though,” he said quietly. “Missing people, I mean.”

Bucky smiled sadly, and nodded. The sadness in Peter’s eyes was back, and Bucky wondered if he should ask Peter about Tony… but he didn’t want to muddy the waters so early in the morning. Unlike Bucky, Peter was easy to read. Bucky had noticed the sadness in Peter’s eyes a few times before. It wasn’t always there, but Bucky had seen the look in his own reflection enough times to recognize it in others. Something was hurting Peter, but Bucky didn’t want to pry.

They finished their coffee and bagels in silence, but there was no awkwardness between them this time.

When Peter finished his coffee, he checked his watch. “I’ve got a shipment of new equipment coming in at nine,” he said apologetically. “Do you want to come by the lab around ten?”

Bucky agreed. Peter left the crowded shop, leaving Bucky with an excited feeling in his chest. He thought back to his conversation with Joanna. The best case scenario flashed in his mind again and his stomach filled with butterflies. He stared at his watch, willing time to move faster.

  
  


Peter signed for the shipment of equipment at 9:00. When the delivery woman left, he propped the lab door open for Bucky. He emptied the box of black sand-like nanites onto the white countertop. It was 9:55 when Bucky rapped his knuckles against the glass wall.

“Come on in,” Peter said.

Bucky stepped inside the lab. He removed his jacket and placed his bag on the counter against the wall.

“Hey Peter,” Bucky said, his heart racing.

Peter could hear Bucky’s elevated heartbeat. He smiled at the soldier. He could only imagine how exciting it must be for Bucky to test the new prosthetic.

Peter instructed Bucky to sit in his usual spot on the countertop next to his computer. Bucky removed his shirt and lifted himself onto the counter, between Peter’s computer and the pile of black sand. Peter approached the man with a curved silver earpiece in his hand. Bucky removed his vibranium arm, and Peter stepped up to Bucky’s side to position the neural transmitter on his ear.

Peter sat at the desk in front of his computer. He typed a few things on the screen, before turning to look at Bucky. 

Peter smiled sheepishly. “This isn’t going to be perfect right away,” he said. “Before, there was only a one way signal—the arm sending the touch sensation to your brain. With the second component of the motion kinetics, we’re adding a second signal, from your brain to your arm. I’m not really sure how the nanites will react to your brain’s signal, so don’t be discouraged if you don't have the best range of motion.”

Bucky smiled at Peter, and the look on his face was warm and genuine. “I don’t mind if it takes a while. I’m just grateful for your help. You—you’re a good friend.”

Peter’s ears went hot under Bucky’s lingering gaze. “I’m glad to help,” Peter said, turning back to his computer screen. “I’m going to assemble the arm first, and then I’ll turn on the touch and the kinetics.”

“Sounds good.”

Peter’s fingers were a blur as he typed several complicated looking functions. He pressed enter, and the pile of black sand beside Bucky flew into the air. The arm did not form on the table this time. The black particles came together, forming the limb directly on Bucky’s shoulder.

Peter turned on the touch sensation and Bucky smiled as the arm came to life. He could feel the pressure where the black shiny limb was resting against the counter. The gleaming surface was cold.

“Can you feel that?” Peter asked, just to check.

Bucky nodded.

“Good,” Peter said. “I’m going to turn in the kinetics now. Try moving your fingers first, and tell me how it feels.”

Bucky nodded, and Peter fiddled with the computer. 

“Woah,” Bucky said, when the sensation came over his arm. “It feels _alive_.”

Bucky wiggled the fingers. The motion was’t smooth, but he could feel the fingers rubbing against each other.

Peter stood up and stepped over to stand in front of Bucky.

“Try raising your hand. And rotating your wrist,” Peter said.

Bucky raised the arm. He tried a variety of movements. The arm was no longer smooth like polished marble. The arm looked fuzzy as the nanoparticles vibrated and jumped around. It was more like sand, loosely presse together in the shape of an arm. The prosthetic maintained its general shape, but the nanites on the surface were loose—no longer tightly knit together.

“This is amazing,” Bucky said.

Peter smiled. He stepped closer, nearly standing between Bucky’s legs. “I’m going to touch your arm,” Peter said. “Let me know if it feels uncomfortable.”

Bucky nodded, and Peter reached his hand out. Bucky’s bicep rested by his side, and he extended the forearm towards Peter. Peter’s fingers brushed against the top of Bucky’s forearm, running down towards his wrist. The arm wasn’t smooth, and the nanites jumped around under Peter’s touch. 

His fingers skimmed over the back of Bucky’s hand, and over his middle finger. Bucky bent his wrist so that Peter could run his fingers down to the palm of Bucky’s hand. “That feels good,” Bucky said.

Peter wore a studious expression as he traced the shape of Bucky’s hand, examining the strange movement of the nanites. Peter ran his own pointer finger down the side of Bucky’s index finger.

A sudden confidence swelled in Bucky’s chest. Bucky moved his hand, slipping his fingers between Peter’s, clasping their hands together. He brushed his shaky nano thumb over the back of Peter’s hand.

Bucky stared at Peter, who was looking at their joined hands with a peculiar expression on his face. Peter turned to look at Bucky, his cheeks turning pink under the intensity of the older man’s gaze. Peter suddenly realized just how close he was to Bucky’s groin, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Sorry,” Bucky said, letting go of Peter’s hand. Bucky turned his gaze to his nano arm instead, a slight blush appearing under his beard.

Peter didn’t move away. “It’s okay,” Peter said quietly. “I don’t mind.”

Peter hesitated, before returning to his computer and typing out a few notes. He asked Bucky to try a variety of movements, and made notes for each motion. By 11:30, Bucky was complaining of an odd tingling sensation in his fingers.

Peter removed the arm, and placed it on the counter. Bucky removed the neural earpiece, and the arm dismantled into a pile of black sand on the counter. He passed the earpiece back to Peter, before pulling on his vibranium arm.

Peter sat back at the computer, as Bucky reached for his shirt. He slid the shirt over his head and turned to look at Peter expectantly.

Peter scratched his head thoughtfully. “I’ll definitely need to recalibrate the kinetics,” he said. “And I’ll look into the touch sensation to see what’s causing the tingling in your fingers.”

Bucky smiled. “Thank you Peter.”

“Of course,” Peter said, smiling back at him.

Bucky slid off the counter and made his way over to the counter to retrieve his leather jacket. He slid the jacket in and turned back to Peter. “So when do you want me to come back to the lab?”

Peter thought for a moment. “I think I should have the next update finished by Friday. I’ll let you know if it takes longer, but for now I’ll shoot for the end of the week.”

Bucky grinned. “Thank you again. And no rush.”

“Of course,” Peter said again. “Thanks for coming by the lab…” Peter hesitated before continuing. “I think that we might do another movie night this weekend if you’d like to join us.”

Bucky’s heart skipped a beat. “That would be nice,” he said. Peter started typing on his computer, and Bucky picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He hesitated when he reached the door, turning back to face Peter. His voice caught in his throat. _This was the perfect opportunity._

Bucky cleared his throat, and Peter looked up from his laptop. Bucky rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Do you maybe want to get dinner with me sometime? Maybe tonight?”

Peter looked surprised, but he smiled. “Sure. That would be great,” he said. “Want to meet in the penthouse? I should be done in the lab by five.”

Bucky smiled. “Want to meet at 5:30?” He asked.

“Sound’s perfect,” Peter said, blushing slightly.

Bucky hesitated, not moving from his spot in the doorway. He felt the need to clarify. “I meant dinner with _just me_. Like a date.”

Peter’s lips curled into a smile. “I know,” he said. “That sounds nice.”

Bucky was grinning now. “Good. Cool. Thanks. I’ll um—I’ll see you tonight.” Bucky stepped out of the lab, and pressed the elevator button. He would have skipped had the landing been larger.

Bucky’s heart was singing as he stepped into the elevator. The doors slid shut, and he caught his reflection in the shiny elevator doors. His hair covered his face, but he looked happy. Bucky ran his fingers through his long dark hair, thinking. 

_It’s time for a haircut,_ Bucky thought with a smile.


	6. Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Bucky go on a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my children, thank you for reading.

The hairstylist was horrified when Bucky told her that he wanted it all chopped off. She tried to talk him out of it, but in the end she did as she was asked, silently mourning the loss of his long beautiful hair. When she finished, Bucky looked nearly unrecognizable. His hair was about two inches long on the top, and the sides were cut quite short.

Bucky turned his head back and forth, examining his reflection from every angle. “I like it,” he said, with a smile.

Bucky went back to the tower to take a shower and shave. The sting of the aftershave sent a wave of excitement through his body, as he dressed for his date with Peter. He wore his nicest leather jacket over a pair of dark blue jeans, and a grey shirt. He checked the time on his phone. It was 4:50. Bucky still had time before he was supposed to meet Peter in the penthouse.

He left the tower, making his way to one of the bodegas on Park Avenue, that he knew sold flowers. Girls had always liked it when Bucky gave them flowers back in the day. Since he began dating in the modern world, everyone he gave flowers to had been incredibly surprised. He knew it was old fashioned, but Bucky was a romantic.

  
  


Five o’clock couldn’t come fast enough for Peter. His heart raced every time he thought about his upcoming date with Bucky. He had a hard time focusing on his work for the rest of the day. At ten til, Peter locked up his lab, and made his way out to the elevator. 

MJ texted Peter as the lift rose towards the penthouse.

_ Want to grab dinner with me and Ned tonight? _

Peter was glad that he didn’t have to answer her question in person. He knew that her teasing would never stop if she saw the giddy look on Peter’s face.

_ I can’t tonight. I’m going out with Bucky. Maybe another night this week? _

Peter could have predicted MJ’s response. Before he even placed it back in his pocket, his phone vibrated again. The elevator doors of the penthouse slid open and Peter stepped out of the lift, chuckling as he read her response.

_ Oooooh (eggplant emoji) (tongue emoji) _

In response, Peter sent her an eye roll emoji, before slipping his phone into the pocket of his jeans. He pressed the button for the second elevator, and rode the lift up to his room on the 90th floor. He didn’t run into Bucky or Bruce on his way to his room. Despite the rooms reserved for everyone, Bruce, Bucky, and Peter, were the only avengers staying at the tower. Peter hoped that more members of the team would consider moving in as well… not that there were many avengers left these days.

Peter kicked off his shoes and hopped in the shower. He washed his hair and face, and shaved the pitiful stubble off of his chin and lip. After his shower, he flossed and brushed his teeth, gargling generous amounts of mouthwash. Bad breath was the last thing Peter wanted, so he made a mental note to bring a pack of gum for after dinner.

Peter dressed in a pair of light brown pants, a white collared shirt, and a light blue denim jacket. He pulled on a pair of black boots, rather than his usual red sneakers, before returning to the bathroom to style his hair. He combed his curls back the best he could, but his hair never stayed in place for very long. When he finished examining his reflection, Peter sprayed some cologne on his neck, and latched his watch on his left wrist.

It was nearly 5:20. Peter didn’t want to wait any longer, so he left his bedroom and took the lift down to the penthouse. When the elevator doors slid open, Peter stepped out of the lift and into the living room. 

Peter paused, when he saw an unfamiliar man with short dark hair, standing near the balcony doors. He was looking out the large glass windows, and Peter couldn’t see his face. In his hand was a yellow bouquet of flowers. Peter furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why his spider senses hadn’t alerted him to the strangers presence. Nobody besides Pepper, Happy, and the Avengers had access to the penthouse.

Peter cleared his throat. “Can I help you?” He asked, trying his best to sound polite, rather than suspicious.

Bucky turned around and smiled, looking Peter up and down. “Didn’t recognize me?” He asked. 

Peter widened his eyes as he took in the older man’s transformation. “Your hair!” Peter exclaimed. “It’s all gone!”

Bucky chuckled, and ran his vibranium fingers through his short dark hair. “Yup,” he said, going slightly pink. “It was getting long. I figured it was time for a change.”

Bucky made his way across the penthouse, meeting Peter in the center of the room. He leaned against the kitchen island, and looked down at Peter, who was staring with his mouth open. “Is it that bad?” Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow.

Heat crept across Peter’s face as he snapped his jaw closed. “No, no, it’s not bad at all,” Peter assured the older man. “You look good. I actually really like it. I was just not expecting to see you with short hair and I—”

“You look nice too,” Bucky said, cutting off Peter’s nervous ramble.

Peter’s lips curled up. “Thanks,” he said softly.

Bucky smiled down at Peter, before offering him the bouquet in his right hand. “These are for you,” He said shyly. “I don’t know why, but the yellow flowers made me think of you.”

Peter knew his face was red as he took the bouquet from Bucky’s hand. He examined the flowers. There was an assortment of roses, and daisies, and even a couple sunflowers. He looked up at Bucky, an embarrassed smile appearing in his face. “Nobody’s ever gotten me flowers,” he admitted. “I wish I had thought to get you something too.”

Bucky smiled, and waved him off. “You said yes to a date with me. That’s a pretty big gift already.”

Peter chuckled, and placed the bouquet on the counter. He stepped around the kitchen island, and opened several cabinets until he found a clear vase. He filled the vase with water, slipped the wrapper off the flowers, and gently placed them in the water. He picked up the vase and clutched it close to his chest.

“Do you mind if we stop by my lab on the way down?” Peter asked. “I think these would look nice on my desk.”

Bucky smiled and made his way towards the elevator. “I don’t mind,” he said, pressing the elevator button.

They rode the elevator down to Peter’s lab on the 35th floor. Bucky followed Peter into his lab, where he placed his flowers on his desk. After they stepped out into the landing, and Peter locked the lab door, Peter turned to look at Bucky expectantly. “So what’s the plan for tonight?”

Bucky was nervous again. “I was thinking dinner first. Then maybe a movie, or a walk in the park? If you want to.”

Peter smiled. He could tell that Bucky was just as nervous as he was. “That sounds nice,” Peter said, before stepping back inside the elevator.

The lobby was crowded as they stepped out of the lift. People passed them in a hurry. It was quitting time for most of the departments, and everyone who passed them was in a hurry to get home.

Bucky led Peter out the front doors, and down Park Avenue. They turned right on Madison Ave and walked several blocks in silence. When they reached 45th street, they stopped in front of a little white building. The restaurant was called _NERAI._ The word was written in black steel letters on the front of the building.

Bucky ran his fingers through his short hair again. “I don’t know many restaurants in Manhattan,” he admitted. “Sam took me here once though. It’s pretty good if you don’t mind Greek food.”

Peter smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

They stepped inside, and Bucky requested a table for two. Bucky frowned when the hostess informed him that there would be a thirty minute wait. He looked to Peter, who nodded. The hostess gave them a round disk that would buzz when their table was ready. Peter and Bucky stepped out of the restaurant’s lobby, and sat side by side on one of the benches in front of the restaurant.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky said, looking suddenly embarrassed. “I—I should have planned this better. You know—made a reservation so you wouldn’t have to wait.”

Peter could tell that Bucky was beating himself up. Peter had the tendency to do the same. He shifted on the bench, moving a little closer to Bucky. Peter placed a hand on Bucky’s knee. Bucky looked down at him questionly.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Peter assured him. “You can relax. I’m a little nervous too,” Peter admitted.

Bucky raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Have you dated a lot?” He asked.

Peter shook his head. “No not really,” he said. He retracted his hand from Bucky’s knee to brush the hair out of his eyes. Bucky silently mourned the loss of the contact as Peter continued. “Nothing very serious at least. MJ is the only one I’ve ever officially been in a relationship with… But that ended when I came out. Since then I’ve had a lot of bad first dates.”

Bucky chuckled. “I’m no stranger to bad dates,” he said, scratching his chin. “First dates are weird. I feel like I’m lying if I don’t explain my history right away. But people sometimes get scared off when they realize that I’m  _ that  _ James Barnes… and if they’re not scared off, then I get some pretty awful follow up questions. You know—how many people I’ve killed… things like that.”

Peter nodded. “I’m sorry. That sucks,” Peter said. “Almost everyone I’ve gone out with recently already knew that I’m Spider-Man. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing though… it’s hard to tell if someone actually likes me, or if they just want to hook up with an avenger.”

Bucky nodded, understanding. They watched the passing traffic in semi-comfortable silence for a few minutes. Bucky was silently hoping that Peter wasn’t regretting his decision to go out with him.

When the red disk in Bucky’s lap buzzed, they made their way inside the restaurant. The hostess led them to a dimly lit booth in the back of the restaurant. Bucky told Peter to choose the wine, as the drink would not affect the super soldier. Peter chose the cheapest red on the list, and their server poured them both a glass.

They both ordered the gyros. They dipped their bread in olive oil, and sipped their wine as they waited for their meal to arrive.

Their food arrived quickly, and they began eating. Bucky asked Peter the basic questions: Where he was raised. Whether or not he had any siblings. How he got his powers.

Peter told Bucky about the spider bite at Oscorp. He told Bucky about how strange it had been to lose his secret identity right before his senior year. Bucky asked a few questions here and there, but mostly he liked to watch Peter as he talked. Bucky’s eyes kept wandering to Peter’s lips.

Peter asked Bucky how he was adjusting to life in the modern era. Bucky told Peter about the things he missed—10¢ ice cream cones, and reading the news in a paper. He also told Peter the things he liked about the 21st century. He told Peter that the movies were spectacular, and he insisted that the internet was the most useful invention ever—second only to his prosthetic arm.

Peter pulled out his wallet when the check came. “Let me,” Bucky insisted, pulling out his own wallet as well.

“I don’t mind splitting the check,” Peter said, opening his wallet to remove his card. “You barely had any of the wine.”

Bucky’s vibranium hand was suddenly on top of Peter’s. Peter looked up, and found a warm smile on Bucky’s face. “Let me,” Bucky insisted again. “Please?”

Peter smiled back at him, heat rising in his cheeks. “Okay,” he said softly.

Bucky didn’t want to remove his hand, but he did, only to pass their waiter his card. She returned a moment later, and Bucky signed the receipt, leaving a generous tip.

They stepped out onto 45th street. The warm summer breeze brushed past them, and Peter frowned as his hair was blown in every direction. Peter tried to flatten his hair again, and Bucky gave him a sweet smile.

“Your hair looks cute the way it is,” Bucky said, somewhat sheepishly. Peter blushed, and stopped trying to flatten his hair. “Would you like to see a movie? Or we could go for a walk in the park?”

Peter thought for a moment. “Let’s walk through the park,” he said. “That way we can talk. We can always see a movie next time.” Peter went slightly pink. He hadn't meant to insinuate that Bucky would want a second date.

Bucky caught his words, and grinned. “Sounds good to me,” he said, playful nudging Peter with his vibranium elbow.

They walked down 45th street, and turned right onto Madison Avenue. When they reached 60th Street, they veered left. They followed the sidewalk and crossed the street towards Central Park. They passed the golden statue in the Grand Army Plaza, and turned left to walk on one of the footpaths.

They followed the winding path through the park. They passed several statues and benches. An old man played violin in one of the squares they passed. Bucky paused to throw a five dollar bill into the man’s violin case.

Bucky followed Peter through the park. Bucky didn’t know Central Park at all. The park hadn’t been around back in his day. The museum had been there, but several neighborhoods must have been demolished to make room for the park.

The sky was growing dark around them. Peter walked on Bucky’s right side, and his heart was racing as he tried to work up the courage to hold Bucky’s hand. When Peter finally reached out, Bucky jumped and jerked away from the sudden contact. They stopped in the middle of the path.

“Sorry,” Peter muttered, quickly withdrawing his hand, and placing it in his jacket pocket.

Bucky turned to look down at Peter, a curious expression on his face. “No, don’t be sorry. You just surprised me. Did you—I mean—” Bucky sighed, going slightly pink. “Were you trying to hold my hand?” He asked, feeling suddenly quite awkward again.

Peter nodded shyly. “It’s okay,” he said. “We don’t have to.”

Bucky smiled at Peter, his eyes a darker shade of blue than usual. “I want to,” he said, extending his right hand. “I really do. You just caught me off guard.”

Peter smiled back at him, and removed his left hand from his pocket. Bucky took his hand, intertwining their fingers. Bucky’s hands were large and warm, and Peter's skin felt smooth beneath his grasp.

They resumed walking. They passed a group of cyclists riding in the opposite direction, and a flock of geese flew overhead. Bucky ran his thumb over the back of Peter’s hand a few times, and Peter reciprocated the motion with his own thumb. Bucky stopped walking, just long enough to raise their clasped hands. He kissed the back of Peter’s hand, and Peter’s knees nearly buckled.

Peter asked about Bucky’s time in the army, and Bucky asked Peter about the other projects he had worked on at Stark Industries. By the time the sun had set, the conversation turned to family.

Bucky told Peter about how much he missed his parents and his sister. Peter’s heart ached for the man, as Bucky expressed how badly he wished that his family had known he survived the war. Bucky told Peter that he wished that his mother hadn’t been forced to mourn the death of her only son. 

Peter was the one to kiss the back of Bucky’s when he finished speaking.

Bucky asked Peter how it was growing up with his aunt. He didn’t ask about Peter’s parents, but Peter volunteered the information. It was only fair—Bucky had shared a lot with him after all.

“May is amazing,” Peter said. “Her and my uncle Ben were the ones who kept me together when my parents died. They told us that my parents died in a plane crash. My uncle Ben never believed it. I’m not sure if I do either.”

“I’m so sorry,” Bucky said, squeezing Peter’s hand tighter.

“I was young when it happened,” Peter said, as though attempting to minimize the hurt. “I don’t really remember my mom and dad. If I’m being honest, my uncle Ben’s death was way harder on me.”

Bucky kissed the back of Peter’s hand again.

The path sloped downward, and soon they emerged from the trees into a large grassy field with a large pond in the center. They followed the path around the edge of the pond. Bucky kicked a few pebbles into the water as they walked.

Peter furrowed his eyebrows as three unfamiliar copper statues came into view. He had never seen these statues before. They continued walking towards the statues, and Peter’s breath caught in his throat.

The three statues stood in a row. They must have been there for at least a year or two. The copper—no longer brassy and orange—was a dull brown, with spots of green and black in the crevices of the metal.

They stopped walking when they stood in front of the metal figures. They both stared. A small plaque had been erected in front of the statue in the center. It read: “The hero’s who avenged the vanished.”

The statue on the left depicted Natasha Romanoff. Her short curly hair framed the statue’s face perfectly. IronMan stood in the middle. His statue was the tallest, but the sculpture of the IronMan suit didn’t show the soft the man inside the armor. Steve Rogers was on the right. He held his round shield in front of his chest, and his helmet was pulled down over his head.

They both stared up at the statues of their fallen friends. Peter sniffled and turned his head, using his free hand to wipe his eyes. Bucky looked down at Peter, and squeezed his hand.

“Sorry,” Peter mumbled, wiping his eyes again before turning back to Bucky. “Can we keep walking?”

Bucky frowned for a moment, a question burning in the back of his mind. He nodded, and they resumed walking down the path, away from the statues.

When they turned the corner, and the statues were out of sight, Bucky cleared his throat. “Can I um—can I ask you a personal question?” Bucky asked without looking at Peter.

Peter’s stomach churned. “Yeah, okay.”

Bucky hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it. He gently pulled Peter toward one of the benches that sat along the edge of the path. They sat down. Bucky let go of Peter’s hand, just long enough to adjust his jacket, before slipping his fingers back between Peter’s.

Bucky took a deep breath and his eyes locked onto Peter’s. “What was the deal with you and Tony Stark?” He asked. The second the words escaped his mouth Bucky regretted them.  _ Way to fuck up a good first date, _ he thought.

Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise.  _ Was it really that obvious?  _ Peter opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, and his ears grew hot.

“Tony was—Tony was my mentor,” Peter said quietly. “He’s the one who recruited me to be an avenger. He gave me my first suit, and helped me upgrade my web shooters. He gave me advice about everything. He’s the reason I wanted to become an avenger…” 

Peter’s voice trailed off and he wiped his eyes again.

“Did you have feelings for him?” Bucky asked.

Peter looked up in surprise at his boldness. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. He had never admitted out loud to anyone before. “Yeah I did,” Peter said softly. “I fell head over heels for Tony. But I don’t think he would have gone for someone my age. Plus he was engaged to Pepper… Not to mention, the fact that he was straight.”

Bucky squeezed Peter’s hand. “I’m sorry, that sucks.” He sighed. “Forget I asked. I’m sure it’s against the rules to ask things like that on the first date anyway.”

Peter laughed and smiled at Bucky. “Yeah, usually you’re supposed to wait until the second date to ask about IronMan,” Peter said with a chuckle. He looked down at their joined hands, and hesitated. “Can I ask  _ you _ something now?”

A lump formed in Bucky's throat. “It’s only fair,” he said, doing his best to force a smile.

“Was there anything between you and Steve?” Peter asked.

Bucky stiffened for a moment, but relaxed as Peter’s thumb stroked the back of his hand. Apparently Bucky had been pretty obvious too.

“Nothing official,” Bucky said. “I liked Steve, but Steve was straight. I never told him how I felt. We had been best friends since we were kids, and even though we were never actually together, it felt like a breakup when he left.”

Bucky sniffled and stared at the ground. Peter squeezed his hand, and Bucky turned to look at him a moment later. Though Peter's lashes were still wet with tears, the sadness had vanished from his brown eyes.

“I guess we were kinda in the same boat,” Peter said thoughtfully.

Bucky nodded. “Two broken people, in love with straight men.”

Peter raised his eyebrows for a moment. “I’m not broken,” he said, almost a little defensively.

“I’m sorry, of course you’re not,” Bucky said suddenly, worried that he’d offended the younger man.

“You’re not broken either Bucky,” Peter said fiercely, and Bucky suddenly went very quiet.

“Thank you,” Bucky said after a moment. Peter nodded.

“Straight men,” Peter huffed, sounding suddenly exhausted. “Wouldn’t fall for one ever again.”

Bucky laughed, and released Peter’s hand. Instead, he threw his right arm around Peter’s shoulder, pulling him to sit a little closer. 

“Lucky for you, I’m not straight,” Bucky said, his voice gruff and low.

Peter laughed, and shuddered with excitement at the implication of the older man's words. 

“Thank god for that,” Peter said, before resting his head on Bucky’s shoulder.

Bucky breathed in his scent. He stared down at Peter, very much wanting to kiss the younger man... But Bucky was a gentleman. He knew that usually came at the  _ end _ of the date.

They stood up and made their way down the winding path again. They wandered through the park, passing fewer people as the night went on. Bucky held Peter’s hand, sometimes letting go to wrap an arm around his waist instead.

As they walked, Peter told Bucky about all of the things that he wanted to build with nanotechnology. Bucky listened interestedly, pausing occasionally to kiss the back of Peter’s hand. He loved the way Peter blushed every time he did that.

When they reached the far end of the park, it was 9:30. Bucky checked the time in his phone, before suggesting that they head back to the tower. Peter agreed and they took a right hand turn. They didn’t walk back through the park, taking the sidewalk on 5th Avenue instead. 

Only the security guards were in the lobby when they entered the tower at ten. The sound of their boots scuffing the polished tile echoed off the windows, as they approached the elevator. Bucky pressed the button, and they climbed inside.

Bucky squeezed Peter's hand and smiled down at him. Peter smiled back at Bucky.

“I had a good time tonight,” Peter said truthfully. It had been a long time since he’d actually enjoyed a date. Perhaps it had been the scrape of Bucky's stubble, as he kissed the back of Peter's hand during their walk. Whatever the reason, Peter had found the evening quite enjoyable.

“So did I,” said Bucky. “Can I take you out again tomorrow night, or would that be too soon?”

Peter smiled, relieved that nobody had taught Bucky the  _ wait three days rule. _

“I would like that,” Peter said with a grin.

The elevator doors opened onto the penthouse. Dishes were drying on the rack in the dark kitchen. Bruce must have already gone to bed.

“Can I—um, walk you to your room?” Bucky asked.

Peter chucked and hit the button for the second lift. “Well we are going the same direction,” he said, and Bucky laughed.

They took the lift to the 90th floor. Only Bucky, Peter, and Wanda were housed on the level. Since Wanda was currently out doing her new witchy thing, they had the floor to themselves.

Peter could hear the rhythm of Bucky’s heartbeat increase as they approached Peter's door. When they reached the door, Peter pulled his keys out of his pocket, and turned to face Bucky. He looked up through his lashes at the older man.

“Thank you again for dinner,” Peter said softly.

“Thank you for coming,” Bucky said, leaning against the wall next to the door. They stood about a foot apart, and Bucky looked down at Peter expectantly.

Peter stammered with his words. “I um… I’m not really very good at this part,” he said shyly.

Bucky smiled down at him. Seeing that Peter was just as nervous as he was, relaxed him a bit. 

“I  _ used _ to be good at this part,” Bucky said with a grin. “You know—smooth talking the ladies until they’re wrapped around my finger… I’m not sure how it was so easy for me back then.”

Peter’s heart melted. “I think you’re better at it than you think,” Peter said, taking a step closer.

Bucky placed his right hand on Peter's slender waist. He hooked a vibranium finger under Peter's chin, gently lifting his face towards his own. “Can I kiss you?” Bucky whispered, his breath hot against Peter's cheek.

Peter nodded, and their lips came together. Bucky was sweet and gentle. Peter brought his hand up to feel the stubble on Bucky’s jaw. The hand on Peter's waist moved to the small of his back, pulling him flat against Bucky's solid chest.

At first it was rather chaste. Bucky's lips moved lazilly against Peter’s. After less than a minute however, Bucky slipped his tongue into Peter's mouth.

Peter stifled a moan as Bucky's tongue explored his mouth. Peter pressed himself closer to Bucky, grinning into the kiss when he felt Bucky's hard member against him.

Suddenly Bucky was desperate. His touch was no longer gentle as he dominated Peter's mouth. He pressed Peter against the wall, grinding against him. Peter's hands were in Bucky’s short hair, and his bottom lip was between Bucky's teeth.

Bucky thrust his hips hard against Peter, and a moan escaped the boy's mouth, bringing Bucky crashing back down to reality.

Bucky’s lips broke away, and he rested his head against Peter’s. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get so carried away,” Bucky panted against his mouth.

Peter smiled and planted a gentle kiss against Bucky’s lips. “Don’t be sorry,” he said. “That was really nice. You’re a good kisser.”

Bucky grinned at the compliment. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”

“Me too,” Peter admitted. He ran his fingers along Bucky's forearms, which rested on the wall on either side of Peter's head. He hesitated for a moment. “Do you um… do you want to come inside.”

Bucky grinned and kissed Peter's neck. “You have no idea how badly I want to do that,” Bucky said, his heart aching. “But I um… I haven’t been intimate with anyone in a while. I’m not sure if I…”

Peter kissed Bucky’s cheek. “That’s okay,” he said. “We can take it as slow as you want.”

Bucky smiled down at Peter. “I don’t want to take it  _ that  _ slow,” he assured him. “I just want to do this the right way, you know? Take you out a couple more times… maybe dancing or something… I just want to make it special.”

Peter’s heart melted again. “You’re fucking adorable.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Woah there,” he said, sternly. “Let’s save that type of language for the bedroom.” Bucky winked.

Bucky kissed Peter again, and sighed when he pulled away. He had no idea how he was going to fall asleep, knowing that Peter’s room was just a few paces down the hall.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Peter asked, not wanting to leave.

“Yes you will,” Bucky assured him, planting another kiss on Peter's lips. 

Bucky took a reluctant step back, and Peter fiddled with his keys again. Peter found the fob, and unlocked the door. He stuck one foot inside to keep the door ajar, before turning back to the older man.

“Goodnight Bucky,” Peter said.

Bucky leaned in for one last kiss. “Good night Peter,” he said, smiling sweetly.

Peter disappeared behind the dark wood, and the door clicked shut behind him. Bucky stood there for a moment, a grin still plastered on his face.

Bucky walked down the hall to his own bedroom and unlocked the door. He ran his hands through this short hair and laughed. Not that there was anything to laugh at—he was just happy. It had been a long time since he’d felt this type of happiness.

He kicked off his shoes and fell backward onto the bed. The hole in his heart felt different somehow. The emptiness was still there, but the space felt different—less frightening. Less sad.

Bucky knew that things would never go  _ entirely _ back to normal, but at least he had taken a step in the right direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments=motivation juice.  
> Comment for ten years of good luck. Ignore for broken legs.
> 
> Follow stevelovespeter on tumblr for more gay shit. 💖💖💖

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments give me motivation to keep writing, so I’d love to hear from you!


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